2006Legal / Business Practices forum
Labor dispute and production relocation when a non-union film production became unionized
20 years old. Gear and prices may have changed since.
What the thread found
- A production company operating non-union in Spokane attempted to replace unionized crew by calling workers in other locations without disclosing the labor dispute
- When union negotiations failed, the producers moved the entire production to Vancouver rather than reach an agreement
- Film productions with budgets over ten million dollars may still operate as non-union if producers convince unions of their financial constraints
- Local crews in some regions work below state minimum wage when accepting flat rates without union representation
- Union contracts can be negotiated on a per-project basis, allowing companies to avoid permanent unionization while still providing crew benefits like health insurance
- Production companies have been known to reduce agreed-upon crew rates shortly before work begins
- International union coordination resulted in Vancouver local being instructed not to service the relocated production
Depends on
- Discussion from 2006, labor practices and union strategies may have changed
- Only one detailed perspective from someone on the Spokane production
- Outcomes of subsequent negotiations and payment disputes not fully documented in thread
- Production ultimately relocated, so resolution of original dispute unclear