Great news for Hollywood’s Teamsters Local 399! They have successfully reached a tentative agreement with the Alliance of Independent Commercial Producers on two three-year contracts, avoiding a potential strike. One of the contracts covers drivers, wranglers, animal handlers/trainers, and hyphenated drivers, while the other covers location scout/managers in commercials. Over 1,000 members have worked at least one day under the contracts over the last year, with around 500 working regularly in commercials.
Earlier this month, Lindsay Dougherty, the local’s principal officer, threatened to take “a commercial break” if the AICP didn’t offer a fair contract. But now, in the wake of the new deal, she expressed her happiness, saying “We are happy that we were able to reach a tentative agreement that addresses our members’ core issues prior to the end of the month.”
The local stated that key bargaining issues included enhanced overtime compensation and addressing work that happens off the clock during the prep and wrap of commercials. Joshua Staheli, vice president of Teamsters Local 399 and chief negotiator with the AICP, commended the member-led bargaining committee, saying “We are proud of their hard work.”
Details of the deal will be shared at an informational ratification meeting on June 28. Stay tuned for more updates!
