AMPTP

AMPTP have conspired to reduce our health plans and jeopardize our pension fund instead of finding an equitable means of profit participation for our membership. In 2018, local 700 was right in not ratifying due to concerns about the residuals from streaming and 3 years later nothing has changed.

The biggest problem with this 2021 agreement is AMPTP will not contribute to our pension for any “New Media” (aka Streaming ) programing because they claim it is “too fragile and new” a market to determine if it is a viable source of income, even though streaming is quite clearly the future, everything is going digital.

A one time $370M boost to the health fund is nothing to what residuals from streaming would bring in, especially when DVD sales are a joke. We can all see the money pouring into streaming services and see them collect 75% of the 2021 Emmys and 30% of the 2021 Oscars.

Our health & pension plan should be fully funded based on the hours we work & the money we earn. In addition, the health & pension funds also receive payments made to the fund compensating the IATSE for “REPEAT VIEWING” aka: residuals based on “Producer’s Gross”. Internet platforms, are as much a part of network television income-generators as they are for Netflix, Amazon, Apple+, and other VOD

Viewer’s habits, distribution have changed; but the TALENT, SPECIALIZED SKILLS & DEDICATION required to perform our work has not changed. The term “new media” needs to be thrown out, a production is a production regardless of how it is consumed by the public.

If anything, our jobs are more difficult than ever due to increasing creative expectations and unsustainable work hours. The Producers & Streaming Platforms are creating more product and content than ever (and more money than ever) and in turn we are being asked to do more work than ever for the same precovid pay.

Majority of IATSE members work job to job and due to our freelance nature, most will not demand the time and/or crew numbers needed to do things in the safest way. On set conditions have also deteriorated, highlighting the need for a well funded and running health and pension plan.

On set line producers, producers and AD’s tasked with fitting this unrealistic shoot schedules, are turning into screaming lunatics on set, experienced crew have left this madness leaving young men and women that may not always be able to stand up to the pressures being brought on.

That is where the union should come in and demand a reasonable amount of work in a reasonable amount of time and for it’s members and their experience on how to do things safely to be respected with good health insurance. This is not what is happening at all. Apparently we are not allowed to walk off a set or else be in bad standing with IATSE?

AMPTP claims that there are rules in place for meal penalties and turn arounds and requesting hotel rooms, but we all know that there is a toxic culture that intimidates workers from implementing the rules. (Hi there Rust movie set)

IATSE leadership is either completely unaware of how awful, dangerous and degrading our work has become or, as many have suggested in the pocket of the AMPTP and do nothing but PR us. So expect more accidents and deaths on set that won’t make the news, expect more divorces, early deaths and the compete destruction of the middle class. Gotta keep those 10% majority stockholders happy no matter the cost.

Of course, Netflix, Amazon and other AMPTP members stock prices going up as much as 83% since the pandemic started is never mentioned

TLDR, Residuals from Video on Demand (streaming) needs to contribute to IATSE health and pension like it does for SAG, WGA and DGA especially with the hazardous conditions many members face. Not including this in the 2021 BA, making MPI still dependent on secondary market sales despite the billions streaming platforms generate with “repeated viewing” is utter Bull.