On January 29, 2022, postproduction staff at Vice Media ratified a new three-year agreement with the company by a 97% margin. These staff members are a part of Local 700, the Editors Guild of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). The union members secured 40-hour workweeks, down from 50 hours, and high pay increases, up to 48.4% higher for the lowest-paid members. Were these Vice Media staffers inspired by last year’s IATSE movement in Hollywood?

From October 1 to October 3, 2021, IATSE union members associated with Hollywood producers, studios, and streamers voted to authorize a strike. Of the 89.7% of members who participated, 98.7% voted yes. Without proper contingency plans in place, movie- and TV-production sets across the country would have shut down. But just as the strike was set to start, a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) was reached on October 16, 2021. On November 15, 2021, IATSE members ratified the agreemennt/

The motion picture and television industry thrives on the creativity, skill, and labor of every worker involved, and writers’ contributions are an important part of the success of the films, television shows, and other media IATSE members work on. We recognize and support our fellow entertainment workers in their mission to negotiate an agreement that addresses their issues from the AMPTP, an ensemble that includes media-mega corporations collectively worth trillions of dollars.

In response to the AMPTP’s familiar resistance, the writers have taken the step of voting in favor of strike authorization, arming Writers’ Guild leadership with the authority to call a strike if the ongoing talks do not produce necessary results. As their current agreement is set to expire on May 1, 2023, I call on the AMPTP to immediately acknowledge the contributions of these talented and dedicated professionals and negotiate with their unions in good faith.

As the ongoing writers strike continues to shut down film and television productions, major crew union IATSE is contributing $2 million in funds to aid members who are taking a financial hit.

The union’s general executive board has unanimously approved this contribution to be divided among three top industry charities — the Motion Picture & Television Fund, The Entertainment Community Fund and the Actors Fund of Canada — IATSE announced on Thursday. The donations are specifically designated for IATSE members in need; the over 168,000-member union represents a broad swath of crew members, from grips to sound editors to costumers.

“For those who are struggling, you are not alone, the 170,000 kin of our Alliance are with you, and help is available,” IATSE international president Matt Loeb said in a statement. “We trust these proven industry charities to deliver this much-needed support directly to IATSE members who need it most, and we will continue to explore all avenues to provide necessary assistance to our members as they weather the storm during the writers’ strike.”