Casting Directors Vote to Approve New Three-Year Contract

Casting professionals based in New York and Los Angeles have voted to approve a new three-year deal with studios and broadcasters.

Transporters Local 399, which represents the group along with Local 817, announced Tuesday: 91.85 percent of the bargaining unit voted in support of the agreement. Two Locals negotiates on behalf of approximately 700 freelance casting directors, assistant casting directors and casting assistants in the entertainment field.

“Our Casting Teamsters were always warriors. Since their first fight for representation in 2006, this group continues to stand together and work collaboratively to understand how to better advocate for the art and craft of Casting, as well as the livelihoods of those who work in this career,” Local 399 chief officer Lindsay Dougherty said in a statement. “I want to commend our member-led committee for fighting these negotiations to the bitter end on behalf of all classifications, and this group is already laying the groundwork for our next contract fight and the implementation of the new agreement that lies ahead.”

An AMPTP spokesman said in a statement that the agreement “meaningfully addresses” the union’s key priorities. The spokesperson added: “The salary and wage rate improvements included in this agreement ensure that studios can continue to attract and retain the outstanding creative talent that is the backbone of the motion picture industry.”

Unity An interim agreement was reachedAfter eight days of negotiations, I met with AMPTP on Friday afternoon, before the contract expired on Monday. workforce The side claimed at the time that it had not achieved everything it had hoped for: the negotiating committee “fought to the bitter end”, the group said. Still, the negotiating committee unanimously recommended that members approve the agreement.

This year, the labor union advocated setting minimum wage rates for casting directors, who previously set their own wages, in the face of what it described as downward pressure on wages. “There has been a huge decline and decrease in casting director salaries and the fees we are paid. Sherry Thomas, Teamsters Local 399 casting director and negotiating committee member, says some casting directors make less money in real dollars than they did in the late ’80s and early ’90s.Breaking Bad, Fair Gems), said TR in september.

Teamsters Locals also attempted to negotiate minimum working hours language for casting directors, significantly higher associate casting director salaries, and standard union benefits for casting assistants. unionized shortly before the start of negotiations.

new deal institutes’ initial salary floors for television casting directors: Beginning October 6, casting directors must earn a minimum of $7,000 per week for pilots and first episodes of a series or miniseries, $5,850 per week for pilots and first episodes of children’s programs, and a weekly maximum of $5,850 for pilots and first episodes of children’s programs. should receive at least $4,500. later episodes of the first two seasons. Casting directors working on film or non-departmental television projects will continue to negotiate their rates on their own.

As part of the agreement, assistant casting directors who already have minimum wages for episodic television projects will also receive salary floors for film projects for the first time. Starting October 13, the minimum salary for assistant casting directors on all projects will be $1,820 per week, representing a 21 percent pay increase over their previous seasonal minimum wage.

The initial union agreement for casting assistants established a minimum wage of $21 per hour, retroactive to September 29; double working hours were imposed after working 12 hours in a single working day, and three working hours were imposed after working 15 hours. Casting directors will also receive health and retirement benefits and the same vacation days that casting directors and assistant casting directors enjoy.

Negotiations began Aug. 26, with Local 399’s chief officer Lindsay Dougherty leading talks on behalf of the union and AMPTP president Carol Lombardini serving as AMPTP’s chief negotiator.