New Mexico Film Workers on Verge of Historic Strike. How Did We Get Here?
Some 60,000 behind-the-scenes workers in the film industry could soon walk off the job, after a historic vote from union members to approve a possible strike. Many of those employees live and work right here in New Mexico, and are members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). It’s a union that is more than 100 years old, and never dealt with a situation quite like this.
The standoff is over working conditions, from pay and health care benefits, to limits on work hours, breaks and weekend turnaround. Negotiations continue behind closed doors, but we wanted to get to the bottom of the disagreement and what the potential impacts of a strike could be here in the Land of Enchantment.
Host: Gene Grant
Guests:
Gene Maddaus, enterprise reporter, Variety magazine
Liz Pecos, president, IATSE Local480
Marisa Frantz, Secretary-Treasurer IATSE Local480
Jessica Hoffman, Field Representative IATSE Local480
Shaun Garcia, IATSE Local480 member