IATSE leaders says they'll protect health and pension benefits

IATSE leaders says they’ll protect health and pension benefits

March 28, 2012 6:54 PM PT

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In a sign that the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees may be headed for a showdown with the major studios, union leaders told members that they would ‘hold the line’ on their health and pension benefits.

Matt Loeb, president of IATSE, and members of the union’s West Coast bargaining committee sought to assure the rank and file that they were standing their ground in contract negotiations with the producers that ended on Monday without a deal.

‘IATSE is continuing to hold the line on issues that are of importance to the membership -- health benefits, pension benefits and working conditions,’’ Loeb and his colleagues said in an email to members distributed this week.

‘We anticipate resuming negotiations prior to the expiration of the current agreement,’’ the email continued. (The current contract expires July 31 of this year). ‘We remain committed to a new agreement that protects the needs of the membership and we’ll continue to keep you apprised of any developments.’

IATSE represents more than 100,000 entertainment industry workers, including camera operators, set decorators, grips and others who work behind the scenes on movies and TV shows.

People close to the negotiations say the sides remain divided over how to close a large deficit in the union’s health and pension plans -- projected to be at least $300 million over the next three years -- because of investment losses and rising medical costs. The health and pension plans are funded by residual payments and employer contributions.

Healthcare costs to dominate IATSE, AMPTP talks

Matt Loeb of IATSE charting a more aggressive path

-- Richard Verrier

Company Town Blog

Richard Verrier

Richard Verrier is investigations editor for Arts and Entertainment at the Los Angeles Times. He has been with The Times since 2001 and has run our Company Town since 2016. After stints at the St. Petersburg Times and the Orlando Sentinel in Florida, Verrier joined the paper as a reporter, and for many years covered all aspects of the entertainment industry before turning to editing. He oversees the Company Town coverage while working to guide and edit investigative and enterprise reporting across the entertainment team, collaborating with writers and editors from all departments. He is a native of Montreal and a graduate from the University of Toronto and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.