IATSE is one step closer to replacing employees in production departments for TV commercials

IATSE has taken the next step to represent freelancers in the TV commercial production department.

The union announced Thursday that it has made a formal request to the Association of Independent Commercial Producers to begin a neutral third-party card count on behalf of thousands of union representatives of freelance TV commercial production workers. If the majority of employees sign the cards, IATSE will be recognized as a collective bargaining agent.

“The number of cards is an important step to officially confirm whether the majority wants a union,” says IATSE on its website. Production staff announced their partnership with IATSE earlier this year through the Stand with Production movement.

The union already represents crews working on commercials across the country and is now trying to represent workers working in commercial production units. Union workers include production assistants, production managers, production managers, deputy production managers and bid producers. The union already represents commercial art directors, cinematographers, hair and make-up artists, script managers, handlers, gaffers, props and painters.

It’s been a bumpy road getting so close to unionizing workers in the manufacturing division, with IATSE at one point accusing the AICP of “union abuse”.

“We are confident that a majority in the freelance commercial manufacturing community has been pro-union for some time,” said IATSE President Matt Loeb, “but every day workers are signing more cards to show that they are also serious about the AICP.” is working to build a more standardized, sustainable and safer industry. It is not surprising that these workers want and deserve many of the same rights and protections that their union members already have.”

In October, IATSE and AICP agreed to a new three-year contract for crew members working on advertisements nationwide. As part of this agreement, they also reached an agreement that could lead to voluntary recognition by the AICP of non-union freelance commercial manufacturing workers. This agreement defines what constitutes an entity of eligible workers and states that AICP will recognize the union to enter into contract negotiations when a majority designates IATSE as its exclusive bargaining agent by signing digital authorization cards.