With hours counting down to a SAG-AFTRA strike, authorized at Noon Pacific Thursday (7/13), the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), Teamsters, Hollywood Basic Crafts (Hollywood Basic Crafts (Teamsters Local 399, IBEW Local 40, LiUNA! Local 724, OPCMIA Local 755 and UA Local 78), the Directors Guild of America (DGA), the Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) all came together on Wednesday to extend their “unwavering support and solidarity.”
Just don’t include certain employees at an NBC affiliate in the Keystone State owned by Sinclair Inc. in the mix of those that wanted a potentially crippling work stoppage.
The IATSE, including Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States of America TBSE, Local 902, is no longer representing Sinclair employees that provide “certain broadcast services” to WJAC-6 in Johnstown, Pa.
According to Sinclair, that union recently disclaimed interest in representing those employees.
In response, WJAC VP/GM Jason Wildenstein commented, “WJAC’s success is because of the strength, experience, and commitment of our team and we are pleased to have the opportunity to work and communicate directly with our employees rather than through a third party. We remain devoted to providing all our employees with the many opportunities available throughout Sinclair.”
The end of IATSE representation at the NBC station comes as the SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical/Streaming Negotiating Committee on Tuesday agreed to a last-minute request for federal mediation from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. In doing so, SAG-AFTRA reaffirmed the negotiating committee’s dedication to securing a fair deal by the expiration of the extended contract at 11:59pm Pacific on July 12.
No deal arrived, with a strike vote authorized Thursday at Noon PT.
“We will not be distracted from negotiating in good faith to secure a fair and just deal by the expiration of our agreement,” SAG-AFTRA said. “We are committed to the negotiating process and will explore and exhaust every possible opportunity to make a deal, however we are not confident that the employers have any intention of bargaining toward an agreement.”
SAG-AFTRA entered negotiations on its TV/Theatrical/Streaming agreement with the AMPTP on June 7 with a 98% yes vote on its strike authorization. The contracts were extended on June 30 and expired at the stroke of Midnight PT.
