IATSE Boss On Hollywood Labor Talks, 2024 Election & Extra

In some ways, longtime Worldwide Alliance of Theatrical Stage Workers president Matthew Loeb is the personification of that Teddy Roosevelt adage of “converse softly, and carry a giant stick” …effectively, possibly aside from the converse softly half.

“From the place I sit, that is actually about safety in an trade that’s precarious already,” Loeb states of the upcoming talks beginning March 4 with the Alliance of Movement Image and Tv Producers on new three-year agreements. “A strike vote is all the time attainable and I can’t rule it out,” the veteran union chief provides of the stakes concerned for his members and the most recent contract talks.

Heading into joint negotiations with studios with the Lindsay Dougherty-led Hollywood Teamsters and different crafts on Monday, Loeb arrived in LA earlier this week for final minute preparations along with his staff and different leaders. Fittingly, with assist from all the opposite Guilds, Loeb additionally got here loaded for bear to take the stage tomorrow at a self-described Nothing Strikes With out The Crew mega-rally in Encino.  

With their present movie and TV contracts set to run out on July 31 and the union having acknowledged final month they don’t seem to be desirous about extending it, IATSE are additionally going into talks with the Carol Lombardini-led AMPTP within the aftermath of final yr’s bruising strikes by the WGA and SAG-AFTRA. The truth is, two separate contracts are on the desk for IATSE. Overlaying greater than 60,000 trade associated members, there’s the Primary Settlement, which covers 13 of the union’s Hollywood locals, and there’s the Space Normal Settlement covers 26 locals exterior of Los Angeles.

Again in 2021, after an awesome nationwide strike authorization vote by members, the final contracts have been ratified by members in a better than standard vote. A vote that noticed the L.A. locals reject the deal within the well-liked vote.

All of which provides as much as Loeb, who has been head of IATSE by way of good occasions and never so nice occasions, since 2008, having to a handle lots of voices and lots of pursuits as he and his Negotiating Committee face the studios this time. Talks that start with bracing cuts on the studios and a manufacturing at a trickle from what’s has been lately.

Loeb sat down with me to debate the open coming negotiations, the wage and job safety points, in addition to new approach of AI. Moreover, the labor boss took a giant image have a look at the place the general union motion is in 2024, the significance of getting a good friend within the White Home, and the “unthinkable” prospect of Donald Trump defeating Joe Biden this November.

DEADLINE: You’re going to be throughout the bargaining desk from the AMPTP on Monday morning, a spot you’ve been many occasions earlier than. The studios have a well-thumbed playbook of divided and attempt to conquer, a playbook that appeared very out of contact towards the WGA and SAG-AFTRA ultimately final yr. Do you suppose something shall be completely different with Carol Lombardini and gang after final yr’s strikes?

MATTHEW LOEB: I’m hopeful that they realized about, simply saying no and seeing what occurs as we strategy a cliff. What I’m desirous about is significant discussions that handle actual points. So, that’s of their palms, however my guess is that they’ve discovered thew outdated playbook is simply notgoing to chop it this time.

DEADLINE: Not nervous that they suppose they will push you guys off the cliff by attempting to place an trade disruption prematurely on the Guilds?

LOEB: (Chuckle) My feeling about that’s that if anyone assesses our energy from that perspective, it’s a mistake. It’s a mistake due to the constructive function of unions in Hollywood and across the nation and leisure. It will be foolhardy in my view, for anyone to consider that we’ll simply take any deal. We received’t.

DEADLINE: I’m going to be trustworthy with you, you’re a union chief who clearly will get adrenalized round your members, round union of us. So, with this rally developing this weekend with Lindsay Dougherty and the Teamsters and others, what’s Matt Loeb going to inform the troops from the stage going into Monday’s talks?

LOEB: I can’t let you know every little thing Dominic, however what I’ll let you know is most of what we’re going to be speaking about goes to the center of safety.

DEADLINE: How do you imply?

LOEB: Safety that on this precarious enterprise will not be reliable sufficient. It have to be. Once I say that I’m speaking about the advantages. I’m speaking having the ability to spend time along with your households, to the well being within the trade, to creating a good wage for the work that people do. So, Sunday’s rally, the negotiations, actually it’s all about securing the longer term for the members and their households.

That’s the massive message, and possibly I’ll be saying it somewhat louder on Sunday. (LAUGHS)

DEADLINE: One other huge message is that IATSE,  Teamsters Native 399 and different Hollywood Primary Crafts are going into collectively to discount over advantages akin to healthcare and pensions. This isn’t the primary time you’ve all labored collectively, however on this spherical, how did that technique come collectively?

LOEB: Nicely, remember that we’re solely moving into collectively for the negotiations for the advantages, after which we’ll break up due to the specifics of the crafts and the construction of the completely different organizations.

The rationale for it’s twofold.

One, they’re in our profit plans, our profit factors to their profit plans as effectively. So, their pursuits are equivalent to ours.  I feel that moving into collectively creates solidarity and energy hopefully present itself in a greater deal on the finish.

So far as the extra particular person priorities are involved, we share priorities with the Teamsters, particularly on points like AI and the way that impacts future work. From the place I sit, that is actually about safety in an trade that’s precarious already. As a result of what we’re speaking about collectively is these profit plans which are among the many most necessary issues that we offer for individuals who work for therefore many various employers over the yr.

DEADLINE: So, it is a two-track factor in some ways?

LOEB: They’re not separate. I imply, I’d be shocked if the employers didn’t add up the price of the advantages earlier than they made a last supply. For us, IATSE I imply, I don’t anticipate that we’re going to complete. I imply, I hope that we do end the advantages forthwith, however it could take a while. By way of the overall proposals, we’re going to begin bargaining on these most likely additionally subsequent week. As you’ll be able to collect, there’s going to be some course of concerned.

There will certainly be overlap, and look, you bought to step again somewhat simply because we’re moving into with the Teamsters and Primary Craft for the problems that we now have which are widespread. That doesn’t imply that it’s a separate a part of the settlement. There’s no world by which we make a deal on advantages and never wages or vice versa.

DEADLINE: Outdoors course of for a sec, union solidarity and job safety was once virtually soiled phrases in America, underneath successive administrations. Speaking the 35,000 ft perspective, that’s modified quite a bit since Joe Biden took workplace, I feel it’s truthful to say. So, in that context, within the context of final yr’s strikes and deal, and your individual upcoming talks, what your tackle the state of the labor motion in Hollywood right now?

LOEB: One factor, for positive, all people is extra conscious of what’s happening, I feel, than they ever have been earlier than. I feel that labor in Hollywood additionally displays a motion within the nation.

DEADLINE: How do you see that?

LOEB: I see it, you’ve seen it, with the variety of strikes, but in addition the quantity of organizing.

In the event you have a look at the general public opinion about unions right now, the numbers are excellent.

We’re in an setting with a president who has been professional labor his complete life. That impacts the Labor Board and that impacts the Division of Labor and different points that bear on our day-to-day work. So, we’re within the candy spot, proper now with the labor motion. Additionally, as for Hollywood, because of the disputes final yr, there’s, I feel, a eager curiosity by plenty of of us within the trade, about how this performs out.

DEADLINE: With what seems just like the inevitable rematch between President Biden and the previous Superstar Apprentice host/ex-president Donald Trump, what’s your degree of concern that one other Sizzling Labor Summer time might result in having better political penalties within the bigger labor context and in that race?

LOEB: Might go both approach.

DEADLINE: How?

LOEB: Of us, I assume, might really feel the specter of being on strike dropping work, not qualifying for advantages. But in addition, I feel folks can get ramped up behind politics and behind this race particularly. You’ll be able to say what you need about Joe Biden, I’m a giant fan, however the different is unthinkable.

DEADLINE: So, as you go into subsequent week’s talks and with lots of people on edge {that a} new spherical of strikes could also be coming this yr, how does this play itself out?

LOEB: The very first thing is we’re actually not desirous about any form of profit cuts or harder qualifying measures within the design of the profit plans. We want to enhance the advantages and have the funds obtainable to do this, together with pension advantages for retirees. We now have some measures in place, however they’re based mostly on triggers – like we offer thirteenth and 14th checks to retirees annually who retired after or earlier than a sure date. We wish to make that everlasting. It’s anticipated and has been supplied for a very long time and other people anticipate it and it’s an enchancment that actually helps the retirees.

DEADLINE: Over the past spherical of bargaining that IATSE had with the studios in 2021, you introduced in a strike authorization vote, a vote that was that union’s first nationwide strike authorization vote and handed with the assist of 98% of the 89% of members who voted.

LOEB: Sure…

DEADLINE: There was no strike clearly three years in the past, nevertheless it was tense to place it mildly After you had an settlement with the AMPTP and it handed by a good margin, a member stated to me “2024 goes to be a showdown.”  So, the place are issues at with a strike authorization vote this yr?

LOEB: Very first thing, bear in mind, we didn’t have a strike authorization vote firstly of the final negotiations we had a strike authorization vote after the negotiations floor to a halt and the producers principally stated we don’t know methods to take care of what we’re negotiating, and we are able to’t reply you. We did lots of work together with foyer in DC, lots of work together with that strike vote to push them again to the desk. A strike vote is all the time attainable and I can’t rule it out.

DEADLINE: To that, late final yr, I consider round October, the negotiating committee started gathering members enter for this upcoming spherical of talks by way of bargaining surveys and different means. Based mostly on that, what have members come again to you with if something that has shocked you when it comes to their issues going into these negotiations.

LOEB: I’ll say, nothing that I’m actually shocked by.

DEADLINE: So, I’ll assume which means wages and job safety…

LOEB: Let’s say, we’ve had probably the most clear and inclusive preparation that we’ve ever had earlier than. We skilled as many individuals as we might, who shall be concerned in bargaining, so they might know the lay of the land, what good religion bargaining means and what the legal guidelines are that encompass it. We wish our of us to be greatest outfitted as they are often on the desk.

DEADLINE: Appears like a decentralized philosophy …

LOEB: Nicely, it’s not simply me there, is it?  I would be the tip of the spear, however I would like a room full of people that have resolve, information and fortitude.

DEADLINE: On this gig-based economic system, one of many huge shifts going down is the rising use of AI throughout virtually all industries, and particularly the leisure trade. That was an enormous a part of the talks between the WPA and SAG-AFTRA and the AMPTP final yr, and an actual conundrum in some ways. IATSE clearly has its personal AI issues. What do you concentrate on AI and the way it might have an effect on or hurt your members in addition to the better Hollywood group?