The biggest work stoppage in more than a decade?
IATSE Authorizes a Strike
The IATSE has been negotiating with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios and production companies, for months to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. Some of the most critical terms for a new agreement to the IATSE include limits to shooting hours, increased wages and compensation, rest and meal periods, and working conditions.
On October 4, 2021, IATSE members overwhelmingly voted in favor of a strike authorization following unproductive negotiations. IATSE President Matthew Loeb then set a Monday, October 18 deadline to reach a new agreement with the AMPTP. If a deal is not reached by 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time Monday, union members will begin a nationwide strike that would set in motion the nation’s largest work stoppage since the 2007-2008 strike by the Writers Guild of America and would be the first strike for IATSE in its 145-year history.
UAW Strikes Against John Deere
This is the nation’s largest private-sector strike since the UAW’s six-week strike against General Motors two years ago. Workers are most certainly emboldened by the increase in demand during the pandemic coupled with the shortage of workers. The contracts under negotiation cover 14 Deere plants across the United States.
The United Nurses Association Authorizes a Strike Against Kaiser Permanente
Kellogg Workers Continue to Strike
Kellogg workers are striking against a proposed two-tier system for current and new employees along with no offer for pensions to new employees, a removal of cost-of-living provisions, and changes to holiday pay and vacations. These employees often worked seven days a week, 16 hours per day during the pandemic.