Dear Senator:
I write to you today asking that you sign onto the attached letter, organized by your colleague Senator Padilla, to support the more than 60,000 motion picture and television production workers represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), an AFL-CIO affiliate union.
These workers are currently seeking a fair contract in their negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the entertainment industry’s collective bargaining representative. Workers in the entertainment industry are pursuing many of the same basic workplace guarantees as their counterparts in other areas—adequate meal and rest breaks, living wages, and sensible safety measures.
As you know, while many were able to safely work from home to evade coronavirus, motion picture and television workers returned to their jobs last year and helped bring production back to pre-pandemic levels. IATSE members’ dedication and commitment to their trade is what allowed the entertainment industry to persevere. Now it is time for AMPTP, the beneficiary of these workers’ labor, to bargain in good faith and negotiate a fair contract.
Accordingly, on behalf of the 12.5 million members and 57 unions of the AFL-CIO, I urge you to join the attached letter to AMPTP asking for a fair contract for IATSE workers. Please contact Senator Padilla’s office to sign onto the letter.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth H. Shuler
President, AFL-CIO