The post-production editors behind “Saturday Night Live” are ready to strike and have set a deadline of April 1.
Barring an agreement with producer NBCUniversal, the 12 to 20 editing crew members have announced that they intend to halt work and disrupt the show should bargaining sessions in their bid for pay inequities and health benefits continue to stall.
The deadline comes after the group, which successfully organized with the Motion Picture Editors Guild, and is a part of IATSE Local 700, voiced aims to negotiate a contract in October. As previously reported, bargaining sessions have since taken place, but sticking points remain, notably around the issue of health benefits.
Crew members continue to receive the same health coverage, but no agreement had yet been reached. Furthermore, the union has unsuccessfully sought a contract that would guarantee the workers fair pay.
Members of the ”SNL” editing team are paid rates far below industry standards, while colleagues working other jobs on the show receive pay appropriate to their crafts. Assistant editors at “SNL,” for instance, make hourly wages that represent only a fraction of the industry-standard minimum rate for assistant editors on union shows. The company’s wage proposals don’t meaningfully address that gap.
Moreover, NBCUniversal has offered annual increases that fall short of annual raises in industry-wide agreements, despite increases to cost of living.
Retroactive pay is also something that management has refused, with no guarantees instituted for workers receiving pay for delayed contract negotiations. Furthermore, NBCUniversal has argued for a two-tiered health insurance system that could result in reduced benefits for future editors.
Also at issue is a proposed “management’s rights” clause that would erode workers’ collective bargaining rights by letting the company subcontract work and unilaterally change workplace rules and policies. This clause is inconsistent with NBCU’s many other collective bargaining agreements on the show.
The show’s post-production unit has received significant support from other craftspeople, many of whom have been seen wearing “Contract Now” shirts to work. In addition to support from behind-the-scenes crew, several cast members donned the “Contract Now” shirts on Feb. 4 during the on-camera goodbyes at the end of the show.
Alan Heim, ACE, president of the Motion Picture Editors Guild said, “Strikes are not funny, and it’s also not funny that NBCU is driving us to take this step to guarantee fair pay and benefits for our members.”
“The fact is that these workers play a key role in making ‘SNL’ the comedy institution that it is and they deserve the same standards as other workers on the show have,” Heim continued. “That is why we are thankful for all the outpouring of support they have received from other crafts and cast members on the show. This support is helping to ensure that management will eventually do the right thing.”
Sources tell PvNew that NBC has committed to closing the negotiations by the end of the month and continues to work quickly to reach an agreement.
In the nearly 50-year history of “Saturday Night Live,” the series has never before been targeted with a show-specific strike.
The Guild represents approximately 9,000 post-production professionals nationally, working in both live-action and animated motion pictures. It is Local 700 of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE), the largest union of behind-the-scenes entertainment workers.
