Film production workers approve new contract, averts massive strike

Unionized film production workers have narrowly agreed to new contracts, thereby removing the threat of a strike that could have halted production nationwide. The new deal covers technicians, artisans and craftspeople who carry out a variety of acting and non-acting jobs for feature films, television shows and streaming programs. If the 63,000 membered union had gone on strike,  it would have been the largest private-sector work stoppage since 2007. 

The contract has fulfilled many of the demands of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) but there was enough opposition that the deals were nearly rejected. The narrow vote is another sign of the current discontent among many workers, both organized and non-union, over the state of their jobs. Although many of the economic issues were involved in the deal, including significant wage improvements for lower-paid union members, many of the changes agreed upon by management involved quality of life issues like meal breaks, guaranteed time off between shifts and time off on weekends. 

Source: CNN