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The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) has ratified their new contracts.
Union members have voted on and approved of the newest IATSE agreement with AMPTP, and the successful IATSE contract negotiations mean no strike for IA this summer. The approval had a healthy majority. The Basic and the Area Standards Agreement (ASA) were ratified by 85+%.
But what does the new IATSE contract mean for the thousands of artisans and technicians who belong to the union – and the people who pay them? Let’s take a look at some of the most significant updates to the IATSE Basic Agreement, Area Standards Agreement, and Videotape Agreement.
The IATSE Basic Agreement covers approximately 50,000 workers, most of whom are based in Los Angeles, from 13 different Locals. The IATSE contract 2024 pays particular focus on worker wage increases, union benefits, working conditions, days off, and artificial intelligence.
The following offers a more detailed breakdown via IATSE’s Memorandum of Agreement, but you can also read the full Basic Agreement here.
The new IATSE contract spans three years, and spread out during that time union members will see scale rate increases of 7% in the first year, 4% in the second year, and 3.5% in the third and final year.
Moreover, if a workday exceeds 15 hours, hourly workers are entitled to triple pay. Two times one-fifth of the weekly rate is also due to any on-call employees who work a consecutive seventh workday. Any infringed rest period that had been previously paid as straight time will now be paid as double time.
As part of the IATSE contract 2024, the union will receive approximately $700 million for member pension and health plans. Included in this update is uninterrupted access to services for all covered workers for the remainder of the plan year. And if any union member clocked 65 hours or more of work in the last year, they will also receive a year of credit toward their pension plan.
The hourly contribution rates to MPIPHP are also increasing. For the non-Majors / independent producers, the health fund contribution rate will increase by $1.65 on 8/4/24, then increase by an additional $0.86 on 8/3/25, and one last additional amount of $0.86 on 8/2/26. For the Major Studios, the health fund contribution rate will increase by $1.39 on 8/4/24, then increase by $0.45 on 8/3/25, and increase again by $0.45 on 8/2/26. Additionally, the CSATF contribution rate will increase $0.03 to a total of $0.66 as of 8/4/24, and increase by $0.03 again on 8/2/26 to a total of $0.66. Note that for Local 871 POCs, APOCs, and ADCs, the CSATF fee increases to $0.0966, and then increases again to $0.1012 on 8/2/26. For the Script Coordinators and Writers room assistants, the CSATF fee increases to $0.0743 on 8/4/24, and increases again to $0.0779 on 8/2/26.
Also, travel only days will now be subject to PH&W contributions, with a minimum of 4 hours up to a maximum of 6 hours.
The IATSE contract 2024 includes updates to help prevent accidents and injuries to its union members who frequently work long hours.
These updates include having on every call sheet the contact information for the individual in charge of coordinating transportation and lodging for union members. In the event of a long work day, a project’s producer would also be obligated to purchase temporary accommodations, including transportation and/or parking, for workers during rest periods.
It should be noted, however, that the conditions determining when these requisites would go into effect have not yet been determined and/or revealed.
Speaking of downtime, the new IATSE Basic Agreement now recognizes Juneteenth as a holiday, meaning that as of June 19, 2025, union members are not required to work on that date. It’s also important to note that for union members accruing vacation and holiday days off, the holiday accrual rate is increasing from 4% to 4.583% as of January 1, 2025.
In addition, the maximum amount of accrued sick days will go up from six days to 10.
Lastly, given that many union workers experienced lost employment during 2023, the IATSE contract 2024 stipulates that members need only have 40 days of work during that time to qualify for a year’s worth of vacation time accrual. Normally, workers would need 100 days to accrue the same amount of vacation time.
Last, but certainly not least, the new IATSE Basic Agreement addresses the issue of artificial intelligence.
The union stated that the IATSE contract 2024 includes language determining that “no employee is required to provide AI prompts in any manner that would result in the displacement of any covered employee.”
What this means is that if a production intends to use AI, employers must first discuss with the union what if any impact the usage would have on union members. Should a worker voluntarily use AI as a tool within the scope of their role – and it has been approved by the production – they then would be entitled to a kit rental fee for that contribution.
Individual union members must also give consent if they are asked to be scanned for AI purposes. Included in this update is the requirement of providing consent forms that explicitly state that “signing is not a condition of employment.”
To keep union members informed about AI and the usage of it in the industry, the IATSE contract negotiations also resulted in the formation of a future committee that will provide training programs for workers.
Similarly, IATSE can exercise the option to meet quarterly or biannually with production companies and studios to stay current with AI guidelines for the duration of the IATSE contract 2024.
The Videotape Agreement updates largely mirror those of the Basic Agreement with some minor variances. You can find the entirety of the Videotape Agreement here.
The same wage increases year by year of 7%, 4%, and 3.5% apply as well to the Videotape Agreement. However, the dates effective for those increases don’t apply until September 29, 2024, September 28, 2025, and October 6, 2026, respectively.
The Videotape Agreement also recognizes Juneteenth as a holiday as of 2025 with the holiday accrual rate increasing from 4% to 4.583%.
Similarly, this contract likewise stipulates that members need only have had 40 days of work logged in 2023 to accrue a year’s worth of vacation time.
Part of the IATSE contract negotiations have included those for the Area Standards Agreement. This particular contract covers approximately 20,000 union members from 23 Locals across the United States, including states with robust production hubs such as Georgia and New Mexico.
The jurisdiction of the Area Standards Agreement excludes the cities of Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.
Below are some of the more prominent updates to the Area Standards Agreement. You can find the entirety of the ASA here.
This specific IATSE contract 2024 also stipulates the wage increases of 7%, 4%, and 3.5%, respectively, over the next three years. In addition, the ASA includes language referencing regional wage adjustments and notably a 33% jump in living allowances for those hired onto a project who live nearby.
As with the Basic Agreement, the Area Standards Agreement also includes the triple pay clause for any workday that exceeds 15 hours. In this agreement, union members will also receive double pay should their workday last more than 12 hours.
The new Area Standards Agreement also includes benefit updates. Namely, as of August 1, 2024, for crew members who are not eligible for/receiving MPIPHP contributions, but rather IANBF contributions, a single benefit contribution rate of $175 will be paid by employers for each union member for each day regardless of jurisdiction or type of content.
This new rate includes a raise in the health contribution and the first year contributions to pension and annuity funds for each union member. This single benefit contribution rate of $175 breaks down as $136 to health, $20 to annuity, and $19 to pension.
Also important to note is that the single benefit contribution rate will go up by $15 in the second year and another $15 in the third year of the ASA contract.
The new IATSE Area Standards Agreement likewise recognizes the holiday of Juneteenth as of June 19, 2025, and union members are not required to work on that date.
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At Wrapbook, we pride ourselves on providing outstanding free resources to producers and their crews, but this post is for informational purposes only as of the date above. The content on our website is not intended to provide and should not be relied on for legal, accounting, or tax advice. You should consult with your own legal, accounting, or tax advisors to determine how this general information may apply to your specific circumstances.
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