IA/AMPTP Negotiations

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) have been tussling:

As the health of the Motion Picture Industry Pension Plan nears “critical” status, negotiations for a new IATSE film and TV contract are also approaching a critical stage. ... The main sticking point appears to be a rescue plan for the underfunded pension plan, which as of January 1, 2017, was only 67.4% funded. ... The plan has assets of more than $3.8 billion, but its liabilities exceed $5.6 billion, which accounts for the 67.4% funding level.

Sources say that IATSE is trying to persuade management’s AMPTP to come up with a new residuals formula that better reflects today’s marketplace for the films and TV shows that their workers help create and, in so doing, save its struggling pension plan. And because the plan is governed by a board of directors with an equal number of union and employer representatives, it’s both sides’ fiduciary duty to ensure that the plan remains solvent and able to meet its current and future obligations. ...

The union has also said that wage “parity” for members working in new media are among the union’s other goals, and a grass roots movement has been launched to urge management to address the pay gap between members of historically female crafts and historically male crafts who do comparable work.

The Animation Guild draws Motion Picture Industry pension and health benefits from the Plan, so how this negotiation shakes out is important for animation employees in Los Angeles. And New Media (aka "streaming video") is more and more how cartoons are delivered to viewers, so many workers in the business receive lower wages. The issue of wage parity over different viewing platforms has become a HUGE issue since the last contract in 2015.

As of now, IA/AMPTP contract talks are slated to conclude the end of July, with Animation Guild negotiations to begin soon after. The IATSE hasn't struck over a major contract in ... well ... in forever, but 2018 appears to be a year of firsts, so who knows what will happen?