Negotiations on new union contracts with Hollywood crews will start in early March with a give attention to shoring up the pension and well being funds, which took a extreme hit through the writers and actors strikes final yr.

In an uncommon transfer, the entire “under the road” guilds — IATSE, the Teamsters and the opposite “Primary Crafts” unions — will be part of forces to collectively discount on well being and pension points for the primary week of talks in March, the unions introduced Wednesday.

The Worldwide Alliance of Theatrical Stage Staff will then proceed to discount individually on points that have an effect on its 13 West Coast locals. The Primary Crafts locals — which embody electricians, drivers, plasterers, laborers and plumbers — will then discount their points in early June.

Each contracts are set to run out on July 31. The unions have stated that, in contrast to in earlier years, they aren’t inclined to grant extensions. Bargaining with the most important studios is anticipated to be contentious, although either side took a major hit final yr.

The below-the-line guilds all take part within the Movement Image Business Pension and Well being Plans, which offers protection to 75,000 lively members and retirees.

The plans are funded by employer contributions. When scripted manufacturing shut down nearly totally final yr, the movement of cash into the plans was considerably curtailed.

On the identical time, the plans incurred important prices to increase well being advantages to employees who misplaced qualifying hours because of the strikes. Employees had been additionally given no-cost COBRA insurance coverage and had been allowed to withdraw as much as $20,000 from their particular person retirement accounts.

Mike Miller, an IATSE vice chairman, stated in an announcement that the profit plans are “on the forefront of members minds.”

“Although the plans took a success financially on account of work stoppages extended by the employers in 2023 in addition to the pandemic work stoppage in 2020, the trustees of the plan knew funds spent to make sure continuity of employees’ well being and retirement advantages was cash effectively spent,” Miller stated. “It’s essential for our unions to be on the identical web page as we collaboratively negotiate for the plans not solely as a result of sustainable advantages is a shared precedence of our memberships, but in addition as a result of latest hardships have introduced behind-the-scenes crews collectively in historic vogue.”

The unions wish to enhance the funding from streaming reveals into the plans. Under-the-line employees don’t get residuals, however employers pay the equal of a residual into the profit plans.

The unions are additionally trying to stave off any cutbacks in well being protection.

The below-the-line unions haven’t teamed as much as negotiate these points since 1988.