Production Assistants, Seeing Work Dwindle, View a Union as Their Future

by

Production assistants on film and TV sets often find themselves undervalued compared to their more visible counterparts. They handle various tasks such as serving lunch, guiding cast members, coordinating extras, taking care of radio equipment – all part of a production assistant’s diverse skill set. As entry-level workers in a competitive creative field, they are expected to work long hours for minimum wage and be eager to help, despite the thankless nature of their roles.

However, another faction argues that traditional work roles should be redefined. Over the past ten months or so, Production Assistants United have been making efforts towards nationwide unionization, supported by LiUNA Local 724 of Burbank – an organization that caters to electricians, plumbers, and carpenters on film sets in Hollywood. The aim is to boost salaries, establish standard turnaround periods, and offer union-provided healthcare benefits – essentially, to bring these workers up to par with their union counterparts on set regarding benefits.

At a point when U.S. manufacturing is slowing down and job opportunities are scarce compared to the ‘Golden Age of TV’, union organizing carries an inherent level of risk, which may be off-putting for young workers during hard times. Nevertheless, Production Assistants United and LiUNA Local 724 have not been deterred and are taking a proactive step towards gaining more recognition by holding a rally this Sunday at IATSE Local 80’s headquarters in Burbank.

Clio Byrne-Gudding, one of the L.A.-based organizers within the group, emphasizes that Sunday’s event aims to convey a powerful message: “This isn’t simply an ambitious or seemingly underdog movement; it is substantial and authentic. It truly exists.” Similarly, Alex Aguilar, business manager at LiUNA Local 724, reiterates, “We are here, and we plan on sticking around.

Despite the progress made, the journey ahead remains steep. Originating from a grassroots movement ignited by the 2023 writers’ and actors’ strikes, Production Assistants United announced their intentions to unionize all production assistants, secretaries, and similar roles for narrative film and television productions nationwide in the U.S., a group they estimate consists of over 10,000 individuals.

The challenge for this extensive collective to be their representative became even steeper as the realization set in during 2024 and continued into 2025 that U.S. production wasn’t bouncing back robustly post-strikes, as suggested by a recent report from L.A.’s film office. Specifically, the first quarter of 2025 saw a decline in location-based production days by over 22 percent compared to an already low volume in 2024.

As I stand before this towering obstacle, I can’t help but admit that it’s the toughest battle I’ve ever encountered. But fear not, for the might of Local 724’s Washington D.C. umbrella union is behind me. They’ve poured in financial resources, organized our efforts, trained us diligently, and educated us thoroughly. With grit in my heart, I face this challenge head-on, and so does our dedicated organizing committee. We’re ready to conquer!

To date, organizers have divided their mission by geographical region, initially concentrating on major film cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and Texas, along with their surrounding areas. In February, they introduced union authorization cards – a tool labor groups utilize to showcase their backing within a specific workforce. The organization aims to approach studios associated with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers one by one once they establish a majority backing among that studio’s production assistants.

In the current political environment, the primary concerns of production assistants have evolved from seeking higher wages to securing stable employment, as stated by Los Angeles-based organizer Nalani Rodgers.

As a gamer, I’ve found myself in a challenging situation lately. When organizers reach out to me for help, their enthusiasm often feels like a praise for a service provider instead of a call to action. They exclaim things like, “Oh, it’s so fantastic what you guys are doing!” but the truth is, their support is crucial if we want this project to come together. It can be tough to convey that urgency because times are really tough right now.

Amidst a wave of industrial gloom, the team is focusing on empowering production assistants and educating them about labor activism. They are actively reaching out to workers and visiting them on sets before start times with the aim of conveying that “you are indispensable to these productions,” according to Ethan Ravens, an organizer based in Los Angeles.

At the Los Angeles stop of Sen. Bernie Sanders’ and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Fighting Oligarchy” tour on April 12, the group delivered passionate speeches. They depicted production assistants as important yet underappreciated workers for major American corporations such as Apple and Amazon. Ravens, in his speech, stated, “We are not just aiming to improve one job; we strive to revolutionize the entire industry for future generations of laborers.

This coming Sunday’s rally is expected to echo some similar themes – empowering the influence that production assistants hold on sets and creating a more promising future for Hollywood workers, while simultaneously showcasing that this movement has backing from other labor organizations in Hollywood. As of now, Lindsay Dougherty (leader of Teamsters Local 399), Adam Conover (board member of Writers Guild of America West) and Joely Fisher (secretary-treasurer of SAG-AFTRA) have been confirmed as speakers for the event.

Will production assistants be ready to take action amidst such a difficult period? The situation will likely become more apparent in the coming months, with the events in Los Angeles on Sunday and satellite events in Chicago and New York City acting as significant indicators. As Aguilar puts it, “There’s never a perfect time to organize. You just have to get organized.

Read More

2025-05-02 19:54