This spring, writers and actors ratified new four-year contracts. Now attention turns to the rest of us. In 2027, the IATSE Basic Agreement, the contract covering tens of thousands of entertainment professionals, comes back to the table.
Most people outside the industry won’t hear about it until there’s a deadline. So before the headlines start, here’s a clear look at the IATSE 2027 negotiations: what the current contract says, how we got here, and why it matters to everyone who loves movies and television.
What the Current Contract Covers
The current Basic Agreement took effect in August 2024 after members ratified it with 85.9 percent approval. It runs for three years.
The deal included wage increases of 7 percent, then 4 percent, then 3.5 percent. It also introduced triple time after 15 hours in a day, designed to discourage extremely long workdays. In addition, productions must provide courtesy housing or round-trip transportation when a workday runs past 14 hours.
On artificial intelligence, the contract says members can’t be required to write prompts for a system that would replace another member. Finally, the agreement secured roughly $670 million to sustain the health and pension plans.
However, not everyone was satisfied. Some members worried that the AI language didn’t go far enough, especially around AI training on their work. The Set Designers’ Council even recommended a “no” vote.
How We Got Here
To understand 2027, it helps to look back.
In 2018, 89 percent of Editors Guild members voted against the contract. Even so, it passed. Then, in 2021, IATSE members authorized a strike with 99 percent of the vote. A deal arrived days before the deadline.
Next came the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, and production stopped for months. Afterward, the work didn’t fully come back. Over the two years ending in late 2024, Los Angeles lost roughly a third of its motion picture jobs.
In other words, the next contract arrives in a very different industry than the last one.
What’s at Stake in the IATSE 2027 Negotiations
Final priorities will come from the union’s members and leadership. Still, several issues keep coming up in conversations across departments:
Hours and rest. Long days remain one of the most discussed concerns, along with when courtesy housing and transportation kick in.
Artificial intelligence. Since 2024, AI tools have moved further into post-production and design. Many members want stronger protections, especially around training data.
Health and pension. Members need enough hours to qualify for benefits, so the industry’s slowdown puts pressure on both.
Steady work. Shorter seasons, fewer episodes, and production leaving Los Angeles all affect how many people can make a living.
[Optional: a short quote from a member in another department about what matters most to them.]
Why It Matters, Even If You’re Not in the Union
If you’ve ever loved a film’s look, felt a score in your chest, or binged a series in a weekend, you’ve seen these workers’ craft. The people covered by this contract design the sets, light the scenes, cut the footage, and mix the sound.
So when their hours, health care, and job security are negotiated, the quality of what we all watch is on the table too.
What You Can Do Now
If you’re a member, read your local’s updates, go to the meetings, and vote when the time comes. If you’re not, simply pay attention. Stories reach people outside the industry, and public understanding matters.
And if you work in this industry, I want to hear from you. What do you want people to understand about your work before 2027? Share your story, and it may appear in a future edition of The Opinion.
With love,
Leah
Leah Gunter serves on the Board of Directors of the Motion Picture Editors Guild. The views in this article are her own and don’t represent the Guild or IATSE.
