Cinematographers Reach Deal on Craft Issues

IATSE‘s largest Local, the International Cinematographers Guild, has reached a tentative agreement with studios and streamers on its craft-specific issues, the union told members Wednesday night.

“Today marked the conclusion of our bargaining team’s in-person local negotiations with the AMPTP regarding our Camera and Publicist Agreements,” IATSE Local 600 said in a memo on Wednesday night provided by a union source. “We’ve reached a tentative agreement on Local 600 specific issues. We wish the remainder of the West Coast Studio Locals best of luck as they negotiate their local specific issues.”

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for comment.

The guild, an international subsidiary of IATSE, which represents cinematographers, camera operators, publicists and others, spent Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday negotiating over its Local priorities with the AMPTP at its Sherman Oaks headquarters.

The Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) simultaneously negotiated during those same days at the IATSE West Coast headquarters in Burbank, and on Thursday announced that it had also reached a tentative agreement with the AMPTP. “Last night, Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Local 800 Bargaining Unit… wrapped up its in-person three-day negotiations with the AMPTP at 10pm, by reaching a tentative agreement for the Local 800-specific portion of the 2021-24 Basic Agreement,” president Nelson Coates and national executive director Chuck Parker said in a statement.

The Motion Picture Editors Guild (IATSE Local 700) headed into negotiations Thursday in Burbank.

These Local-specific negotiations are all part of a larger bargaining process for the massive crew union that are internally called the “general negotiations.” Essentially, all 13 West Coast Locals of IATSE will be bargaining their priorities individually and, at different points, collectively before their shared contract expires July 31. The Locals’ Basic Agreement covers some 50,000 crewmembers.

The cinematographers guild stated in its memo, “We look forward to building on the success in the General Negotiations, which this tentative Local 600 specific agreement will be part of. Once a tentative deal is reached, all members will have the opportunity to vote to ratify the agreement.” In other words, Local 600 members won’t know the specifics of what was agreed to in this Local-specific negotiation until a larger agreement is reached between the AMPTP and all 13 Locals. The Art Directors Guild included similar language in its announcement on Thursday.

IATSE started negotiations with the AMPTP on March 4, initially heading into talks with the Hollywood Basic Crafts union coalition (a group that includes the Hollywood Teamsters) to discuss health and pension proposals. On March 5 and 7, the union began discussions with the companies over its Basic Agreement covering the 13 West Coast Locals, before heading into a “caucus” week where each side discussed the talks amongst themselves.

IATSE has messaged to its members that if no larger deal is agreed to by July 31, it will consider a strike authorization vote.

March 21, 7:14 p.m. Updated to include the Art Directors Guild’s announcement.