IATSE Hollywood Crewmembers Face Roster Crackdown

Key Points:

• The Industry Experience Roster, maintained by a nonprofit under Hollywood labor agreements, tracks experienced freelance crewmembers and is prioritized for hiring in union contracts, but recent industry shifts have made maintaining roster status challenging.
• Contract Services recently flagged thousands of IATSE members for removal from the roster due to not meeting the eligibility requirement of working at least one day on a union project within a three-year period, with other union members expected to be reviewed soon.
• The decline in U.S.-based productions and the impact of the 2023 writers and actors strikes have reduced work opportunities, making it harder for many crewmembers to meet roster criteria, which some argue unfairly limits their ability to secure union jobs.
• Unions like IATSE have protested the removals but are constrained by contract terms agreed upon with employers, while union leaders blame foreign tax incentives for studios moving production abroad and are pushing for federal incentives to bring jobs back.
• Affected workers express concern that losing roster status will further hinder their chances of union work, as requalification requires more stringent work thresholds, adding to the ongoing challenges in a post-strike Hollywood environment.