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Chris Cullari is a writer/director based out of Los Angeles. His most recent film, THE AVIARY, is available for streaming on Paramount Plus and Showtime. You can find him tweeting about monsters, pro-wrestling, and horror movies.
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In a development met with an industry-wide sigh of relief, Hollywood Basic Crafts—lead by Teamsters Local 399—ratified their deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) by significant margins. The new Teamsters contract was made within hours of the previous contract’s expiration date of July 31, avoiding another potentially long and costly Hollywood strike.
But how will this new Teamsters union contract impact you and your projects?
Read on to find out!
The new contract contains wage increases, pension and health benefits and other gains for all of Hollywood Basic Crafts, a collection of unions representing some 7,600 film and TV crew members essential to the production process. The unions all bargain together with the Teamsters, but each has their own needs and ratification process.
Specifically, deals were made for:
The Teamsters’ new contract was not only ratified, but also ratified by impressive margins.
The “Black Book” agreement was supported by 96% of Teamsters, while the location managers supported their deal by a vote of 98%. Both had over 80% turnout.
Meanwhile, the four other Hollywood Basic Crafts unions approved their contracts by the following margins: LiUNA! Local 724, the laborers’ union, 96%; IBEW Local 40, the electricians, 92%; OPCMIA Local 755, the plasterers, 97%; UA Local 78, the plumbers, 97%.
So what’s in the Teamsters contract update that generated such overwhelming support?
According to the AMPTP, “The significant economic gains, benefits, additional safety measures, and quality of life improvements in these new contracts reflect the immense value and contributions the hard-working members of these unions bring to Hollywood daily.”
But let’s start with the number in all the headlines: 7%.
That’s how much of an across-the-board wage increase Teamsters drivers gained in the new Teamsters union contract.
The Teamsters’ contract update also mandates wage increases to be phased in over three years for location managers, key assistant location managers, and assistant location managers. This means that by the end of the contract, location managers will make $4141.69 per week, their keys will make $2,950 per week, and assistant location managers will make $2,152.80 per week.
In addition, the new Teamsters union contract specifies that transportation coordinators will now receive a minimum of $4,000 a week, while transportation captains will have their hourly wages raised before the 7% increase, netting them a first year Captain’s rate of $56.54 an hour.
And last but not least, the Teamsters’ new contract also lays out wage increases over the next three years for chef assistant drivers. By August 2, 2026, their rates will increase to $37.05 per hour on features and $34.67 per hour on long form projects.
The Teamsters contract also sets weekend turnarounds—or how much time a worker has off for the weekend before they are expected back on set—at 54 hours of rest if the employee has worked five consecutive days and 32 hours of rest if the worker has worked six days.
Additionally, if the production eats into those guaranteed rest times, they will have to do so at three times the worker’s hourly rate.
Juneteenth is now recognized as a paid holiday in the Teamsters contract update. As of January 1, 2025, the unworked holiday pay percentage will apply to this holiday, and it will increase from 4% to 4.583%.
The Teamsters contract update states that effective January 1, 2025, the number of sick days will increase from 48 hours or 6 days to 80 hours or 10 days. The number of days one must work to be eligible to take advantage of these sick days will decrease from 90 to 45 days.
The Teamsters contract update includes language that bans the practice of asking anyone employed in the union to transport people in their personal vehicle. The new Teamsters contract also contains additional language regarding fuel expenses and charging costs.
Specifically, the Teamsters’ new contract dictates that effective August 4, 2024, producers will reimburse employees for actual expenses or actual charging costs of their vehicle. This cost cannot exceed $100 per week unless the employee is asked to drive more than 800 miles in one week.
In that case, the producer will not “unreasonably deny” reimbursements over the $100 for that week.
Good news for mechanics! With the new Teamsters contract, they will now be given a weekly tool allowance of $100, a nice increase from the previous $60 per week. This allowance applies to any mechanics required to supply their own tools for a production.
Finally, the Teamsters contract update also makes improvements to Teamsters’ overtime and weekend turnarounds. All hourly employees will now be paid two-and-a-half times their hourly wage after 14 hours have elapsed on set.
After 15 hours, that multiplier increases to three times the hourly wage.
2023 and 2024 were tumultuous years for Hollywood and its unions, and it can be tough to stay abreast of everything that has changed.
Wrapbook’s here to help clear up any confusion around the rules and regulations governing Hollywood’s many unions and guilds. Whether you’re looking for a guide to what’s in the new IATSE contract, the new WGA contract, or something as simple as a guide to union holidays, Wrapbook has the answers!
With the Teamsters negotiations wrapped up, Hollywood is ready to bounce back.
Make sure that your projects are ready to go with Wrapbook and our suite of production tools designed to simplify and elevate your process!
