Negotiations are scheduled to begin Monday between the studios and unionized freelance casting directors for a renewal of the CD’s current three-year collective bargaining agreement, which expires September 30.
The casting directors may seek to have studios agree to pay for casting assistants during pilot season. A dispute on the issue broke out earlier this year, but the CD’s were not able to gain any ground at the time.
The existing agreement sets minimum compensation for associate CD’s working on television projects, but leaves CD’s wages, and associate CD’s wages on theatrical projects, open for individual negotiation. Other key provisions of the brief agreement lay out employer contribution rates for pension and health, and leave open the possibility of discussing “new media issues.”
It’s not known which, if any, of these issues will figure in the negotiations.
The CDs are represented by Teamsters Locals 399 (Los Angeles) and 817 (New York), while the studios and producers are represented by the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Talks are scheduled to run through Friday.
Email: jhandel@att.net
Twitter: @jhandel
