Teamsters Warn Members Against Studios’ “Fear Mongering Tactics” As Basic Crafts Contract Talks Pause For July 4th Holiday

The Teamsters say they are willing to extend bargaining with the studios deeper into the month, but the AMPTP needs to step it up if they really want a deal.

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“Next week, we hope to see the AMPTP ready to sit back down at the table and be prepared to bargain and ‘ care ’ about the issues our members face,” the nearly 7,000-member union representing Basic Crafts said in a note sent out this afternoon.

“As shared before, we have no interest in negotiating against ourselves,” the note added. “We are prepared to seek additional dates to have our members’ core priorities heard, understood, and acted on by the employer’s if they are not prepared to do so by July 19th.”

See the full Teamsters/Basic Crafts message below.

In the pre-Independence Day missive, Basic Crafts reps updated the state of the latest negotiations with the Carol Lombardini-led organization and their concerns about how things could go off the rails. “We expect over the next several weeks to see the companies attempt to use fear mongering tactics against the reasonable terms and conditions our members are fighting for in these negotiations,’ a Teamsters Local 399 spokesperson said of the negotiating committee led by Hollywood Teamsters chief Lindsay Dougherty.

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Weeks into their on-and-off talks, the two sides did not meet Wednesday, Deadline learned. The parties are taking the rest of the week away from the bargaining table because of the Fourth of July holiday. With the Basic Crafts contract set to expire on July 31, the Basic Crafts – Teamsters Local 399, LiUNA! Local 724, IBEW Local 40, OPCMIA Local 755, and UA Local 78— and the AMPTP have inked in a return to talks on July 8.

With IATSE having secured both a tentative agreement for a new LA-centric Basic Agreement and the Area Standards Agreement in the last couple of weeks, a Basic Crafts deal is the last piece of the Tinseltown labor puzzle for the immediate future. Pacing with pay increases very close to what SAG-AFTRA achieved last fall to end their strike, IATSE’s deal, which has to ratified in a members’ vote, pretty took the threat of a strike off the table for the anemic industry.

The priorities the Hollywood Teamsters and Basic Crafts have outlined in their talks include improved working conditions and increased compensation. Toss in some AI guidelines and pension and health fund contributions and the Basic Crafts’ stance is very similar to some of the high-priority demands that IATSE had been seeking as well.

Here is the Teamsters’ full statement:

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The Hollywood Basic Crafts and the AMPTP have concluded discussions for this week. Yesterday, we received counterproposals from the companies for our general Basic Crafts, 399 Black Book and 399 Location Manager Proposals. While the AMPTP enjoys a long holiday weekend, the Hollywood Basic Crafts will continue to work on our counter proposals to be ready for discussions to resume on Monday, July 8th. Our current dates are scheduled to July 19th, with the agreements of all the Basic Crafts set to expire on July 31st.

After the news of IATSE’s tentative agreements last week, we have seen a continued outpouring of support from Hollywood Unions, Guilds, and members of the Hollywood workforce. While our negotiations continue, we are grateful to know we are not in this fight alone and that our members’ core priorities are being championed and will continue to be throughout all of Hollywood Labor.

We expect over the next several weeks to see the companies attempt to use fear mongering tactics against the reasonable terms and conditions our members are fighting for in these negotiations. As the crew unions that make up much of the working class of Hollywood, these companies can and should respect their drivers, electricians, laborers, location professionals, plasterers, caterers, plumbers, animal trainers / wranglers and more. Our members will not be the ones expected to balance the budget of the company’s poor business decisions over the last year.

Next week, we hope to see the AMPTP ready to sit back down at the table and be prepared to bargain and ‘ care ’ about the issues our members face. As shared before, we have no interest in negotiating against ourselves. We are prepared to seek additional dates to have our members’ core priorities heard, understood, and acted on by the employer’s if they are not prepared to do so by July 19th.