IATSE Local 161 has secured an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers to bring union recognition and a first contract to 30 Script Coordinators and Writers’ Room Assistants working in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, extending coast-to-coast coverage for two crafts that have worked union in Los Angeles for years while remaining unrepresented on the East Coast.
Recognition was achieved through a voluntary card check, with a strong majority of eligible workers signing cards in support of representation. The agreement was negotiated to bring East Coast workers’ wages and conditions into line with those secured by their counterparts in Los Angeles under IATSE Local 871.
“We’re proud and thankful to be joining Local 161,” said the organizing committee. “This campaign started back in 2018, stalled several times, but picked up in a meaningful way last year, largely due to a dedicated group of Script Coordinators and supporters on the 161 side.”
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