New York Production Vets Expect IATSE Strike

Threat To Hamper Film And TV Shoots Before 2025

Rebound – MediaMKRS Summit

By Dade Hayes

Business Editor

April 12, 2024 1:14pm

Four New York film production veterans, spanning the perspectives of unions, vendors

and city government, agreed that the looming IATSE strike threat will restrict shoots this

year before a rebound in 2025.

Tommy O’Donnell, President of Theatrical Teamsters Local 817, which represents workers

in transportation, casting, and locations for film, TV and Broadway, sees signs of

production “slowing down,” but doesn’t think “there will be any more strikes” in the near

term. He said the expiration of the IATSE deal at the end of June and the Hollywood

Teamsters contract a month later will prompt a pullback. Nevertheless, “I think it will

settle down, and 2025 will be a big year,” he added.

“The contraction of the industry is going to be temporary,” agreed Kwame Amoaku,

Deputy Commissioner of the Film Office at the Mayor’s Office of Media and

Entertainment. Amoaku, who is a filmmaker in addition to his government role, also

pointed to positives takeaways from the grueling WGA and SAG/AFTRA strikes. “The

labor issues have changed the dynamic between production and labor and I think it’s put

unions in a better position going forward,” he said.The comments came during a panel Friday at the start of a half-day conference,

MediaMKRS Summit. MediaMKRS is a workforce development program led by Reel

Works, a film-oriented mentorship organization founded in 2001 to help underserved New

York City youth.

David Haddad, CEO of film production equipment vendor Haddads, Inc., agreed with

other panelists about the coming slowdown, but he was less upbeat about the idea of a big

recovery. He said a key litmus test for production will come in April, May and June of

2025, when episodic shoots are traditionally wrapping.

“There hasn’t been pilot season for three years. I don’t think one person knows what’s

going to happen,” he said. “There are a lot of sort of margarita nights wondering.

After Covid and then the dual strikes of 2023, this year’s slowdown will be “the third time

we’re going to have a pause,” Haddad said. “You’re going to look at your expenses. You’re

going to look at what you want to cut, what you think’s going to happen in the future. But

let’s be fair to the studios, they have the same problem. ‘What do I spend money on?

Who’s going to watch it?'”

Liz Pecos, an international representative at IATSE, was scheduled to sit on the panel but

did not appear. Paramount Global sponsored the event and hosted it at its Times Square

headquarters. John Gibson, VP, External and Multicultural Affairs for the Motion Picture

Association, served as moderator.