Matthew Loeb is heading into what’s more likely to be probably the most consequential negotiation of his 16-year tenure up to now as worldwide president of IATSE.

The union’s contract talks with the Alliance of Movement Image and Tv Producers are set to start March 4. After final yr’s protracted strikes by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA, the trade is on edge about the potential of one other work stoppage. This time round, IATSE is bolstering its bargaining muscle by negotiating key points of the contract collectively with the Hollywood Fundamental Crafts union in addition to Hollywood Teamsters.

In a wide-ranging Q&A, Loeb particulars the important thing points at stake — AI, streaming residuals and pay hikes — and why he’s already declared that IATSE will not be prepared to increase its present contract after the July 31 expiration date.

Synthetic intelligence blew up into an enormous problem for the WGA and SAG-AFTRA throughout their contract talks final yr. How do you see it affecting your negotiations? Is AI a menace to your members?

I wouldn’t use the phrase menace. They see it as a problem. And I believe that we’re assessing the impact of AI on our craft. Having stated that, we’re going to be proposing protections for jobs and requirements and hoping that AI sooner or later really helps us. Generally new jobs are created with new know-how. Past that, my hope is that a number of the efficiencies and or benefits of AI will filter right down to the crews — which means that it’s going to take some strain off of the calls for which are put folks each day.

Do you see it as a state of affairs the place AI is principally a software and also you simply have to make use of it appropriately?

It’s going be a software, nevertheless it needs to be negotiated and seen in my thoughts from a human-based strategy. The crafts and the creative trades that we characterize needs to be in charge of the issues that need to date been produced on account of their jobs.

The large theme for SAG-AFTRA was to realize consent and compensation with AI. For them it was ‘OK, we acknowledge we’re not going to cease it. It’s coming. It’s right here. However we need to know when it’s used and we need to be paid.’ Is that much like the ask that you simply’re making?

Effectively, our points are a little bit bit completely different. Clearly the pictures of the actors and people sorts of points are completely different for us. For us, it’s actually about erosion or potential erosion of our craft, by means of the know-how. We don’t get additional pay for licensing or photographs, proper copyright and that type of factor, though we do get residuals…..We characterize scores of crafts, and AI challenges differ considerably from craft to craft clearly, from a painter or a carpenter to a sound mixer to an editor. The nuances are completely different however having stated that, we’re on the lookout for umbrella safety that covers everybody with a uniform negotiated safety.

Your contract expires July 31. You’ve already stated that you simply received’t be extending it. Ought to we learn that as IATSE taking a more durable place than prior to now from the beginning in these negotiations?

There are quite a lot of causes that we’ve taken that place. The period of time that’s set will get used, irrespective of how lengthy it’s, and so we need to put a stake within the floor on the ultimate date. We have now to ratify the [new] settlement earlier than [the past contract] expires. And you’ll take that message any variety of methods, together with, if we don’t have a deal, we’ll be sending out a strike vote.

So it’s not a foregone conclusion that there will probably be a strike authorization vote – that’s what you’re saying?

I’m saying that. My hope is that’s that we’ve an settlement that’s truthful and ok for the members that they’ll ratify it. The ultimate phrase is whether or not they settle for the perfect deal we predict we will get them.

In comparison with 2021, individuals are most likely struggling greater than they had been then. Any time you go right into a negotiation, you need to have a reputable strike menace. Do you are feeling such as you’re in a robust place going into this negotiation?

I believe we’re at all times in a robust place. It’s a critical mistake to play a sport of hen. In these negotiations, we’re there to make a deal, to not have a strike. However that, once more, largely is dependent upon the employers responding to us in a significant method and responding to the 13 native unions we characterize and creating extra safety. It’s a mistake to underestimate folks’s resolve. The occasions are completely different now. Persons are robust and so they have that resolve and so they see modifications that may be made. … I warning towards any sort of assumption that we’re weakened and never within the place to make use of their energy to get what we’d like.

Let’s speak about pay. In 2021, you bought a 3% improve for 3 years — after which instantly inflation goes up 8%. SAG-AFTRA bought a 7% improve for yr one, adopted by 4% in yr two and three.5% in yr three. Is {that a} baseline when it comes to what you’re on the lookout for? Or does it need to be greater than that in your members to catch up?

We undoubtedly need to make up that floor. And as you recognize, we had been within the midst of bargaining when inflation started to rise. So it was very tough to return and proper that on the finish of the final negotiation. However sure, we’ll definitely be seeking to make that up and we’ll be wanting carefully what the guilds bought and the worth of their deal. We’ll be on the lookout for a proportionate deal at the least for ourselves.

In 2021, the key problem was turnaround occasions and meal penalties. It was a case of individuals saying, ‘We’re being labored so onerous, getting back from COVID, that individuals are simply going from job to job, getting burned out and doing 14-hour days. Is that also a entrance burner problem for you?

We’re analyzing the info. We have now seen some enhancements due to what we negotiated. I believe we nonetheless have some work to do there. It seems to be like a few of what we did was actually efficient. The notion that individuals are getting relaxation is absolutely what we wished. We’re not after the penalties and the {dollars} – we’re about giving relaxation to folks, an opportunity to get off their ft and have a meal or spend a little bit time with their households earlier than they’ve to come back again to work.

One other main factor from final time was streaming residuals for pension and well being. And I can’t keep in mind if it’s that you simply get zero streaming residuals, or it’s simply not sufficient?

In 2021, we funded the plans largely with further contributions and on an hourly foundation [in which employers make contributions based on the number of hours worked by members]. There’s just a few ways in which our funds get in cash. One is the hourly, one is the residuals and naturally there’s funding return. Sure, we will probably be on the lookout for a strategy to connect streaming product for residuals and create a extra steady and constant funding mechanism for the plans…. Let me simply add that this negotiation, quite a lot of it’s going to be about safety, put up COVID, and what folks had been going by means of. Individuals have mirrored on their lives and other people need and wish some change. And so there’s a catalyst on the market to essentially do that now.

Throughout the strikes there was a protracted time frame final yr when folks weren’t working and plenty of of them are nonetheless not working. What was the impression in your pension and well being fund?

Due to the administration of well being plans and the pension plan, we had been capable of bridge advantages for folks all through the pandemic and the strikes. And it’s pricey. We’re nonetheless on the right track to offer these advantages and promised pensions to folks. So, once more, it’s about extra dependable funding and extra money to be sure that safety lasts into the longer term, and to be sure that we’ve a promise from the employers that on this precarious enterprise, fundamental safety will probably be offered to [IATSE members] and their households.

In comparison with 2021, individuals are most likely struggling greater than they had been then. Any time you go right into a negotiation, you need to have a reputable strike menace. Do you are feeling such as you’re in a robust place going into this negotiation?

I believe we’re at all times in a robust place. It’s a critical mistake to play a sport of hen. In these negotiations, we’re there to make a deal, to not have a strike. However that, once more, largely is dependent upon the employers responding to us in a significant method and responding to the 13 native unions we characterize and creating extra safety. It’s a mistake to underestimate folks’s resolve. The occasions are completely different now. Persons are robust and so they have that resolve and so they see modifications that may be made. …I warning towards any sort of assumption that we’re weakened and never within the place to make use of their energy to get what we’d like.

A notable factor this yr is that you simply’re negotiating alongside the Hollywood Fundamental Crafts union, particularly the pension and well being piece of the contract. Are you able to give me a way of the technique there? Does that imply you’re on the identical web page and asking for a similar issues?

The Teamsters and the Fundamental Crafts take part in the identical profit plans and similar {qualifications} and the identical grand design as we do. So we predict it makes all of the sense on the planet to be on the desk collectively and, frankly, it’s our hope that it’s going to deliver extra energy to us in negotiations. Their pursuits are equivalent to ours. They’re our sister union and it’s the appropriate factor to do. Once more, we predict this can place us higher.

Are there every other main points or themes that you simply’ll be confronting with AMPTP?

Definitely, AI is a giant deal. The studios should take the native negotiations severely and be responsive with significant enhancements. … And there’s one different problem, which has to do with the subcontracting out of our work, which once more is a safety problem. A number of the jobs that we’ve historically executed and a few new know-how has [allowed] employers to contract out work that’s historically beneath our jurisdiction. We have now to be sure that we’re defending jobs and so they’re not getting farmed out.