In recent months, the International Alliance of Theater Employees (IATSE, the union that covers production teams in the entertainment industry) has fought against the Alliance of Film and Television Producers (l ‘AMPTP, which is not a union but an association that works with TV networks, film studios and production companies on issues with unions) on what IATSE says is a series of unfair conditions in their work – including hours dangerous work, low wages in general, an unwillingness to allow time to eat or sleep, and in particular low pay for work on streaming shows.

In October, we reported that the IATSE was on the verge of a strike on these conditions, which would have effectively shut down the entertainment industry (and potentially literally shutting down the entertainment industry, if a strike call had been interpreted by union members as an industry-wide thing and not just applicable to those affected by specific contracts being negotiated) .

But now, with just a few hours on the clock, IATSE and AMPTP have reached an agreement that IATSE boss Matthew Loeb considers a “Hollywood end” to the saga. Specific details of the deal have yet to be revealed, but a Los Angeles Times story says it “improves wages and working conditions for streaming productions, provides for a retroactive pay increase of three percent per year and higher penalties for companies that do not offer lunch breaks.” It also has “unspecified diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives,” which are still the most effective type of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

As the Los Angeles Times story explains, one of the reasons it seems to have worked is that the TV networks involved were eager to endure another major shutdown, as the loss of IATSE would leave them potentially unable to do anything other than programming reruns (since the cameramen are in the union). Meanwhile, a streaming platform like Netflix could simply lean on its existing library of content while a strike unfolded without being particularly embarrassed. of that.

So everything is fine. “Hollywood ending” and all that. But in fact no: According to IndieWire, a number of IATSE members are decidedly unhappy with this current deal, believing it does not go far enough to address issues such as the length of a day’s work or getting residue from streamers. At IA Stories Instagram page– which has become a virtual meeting point where union members can talk about how they have been mistreated – frustrated IATSE members ask for the deal to be rejected and question the page’s anonymous moderators in their rejection apparent to recognize the backlash.

If this deal is rejected, IATSE will have to resume negotiations with AMPTP, potentially putting the strike back on the table. Either way, the story is not quite over yet.