Casting Directors Union Deal Reached

After eight days of negotiations, New York and Los Angeles-based casting directors have reached a new tentative contract agreement with Hollywood studios and streamers, according to their union.

The provisional three-year deal was announced on Friday by the Teamsters Local 399, which represents freelance casting professionals alongside Teamsters Local 817. “As of this afternoon, Teamsters 399 & 817 have officially reached a tentative agreement for our Local 399 & 817 Casting Agreement with the AMPTP,” the union stated. “The member-led negotiating committee fought until the bitter end for a tentative agreement that is being unanimously recommended for ratification.” Details were not immediately available about the agreement.

The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers for comment.

The agreement will soon go to the approximately 700 casting professionals represented by the two Teamsters Locals — including casting directors, associate casting directors and casting assistants — for a ratification vote. If the agreement is ratified, then it will take effect.

The ratification vote is set to begin on Monday after an an informational meeting about the pact takes place for union members.

In this round of bargaining, the union sought to significantly raise wages for members by establishing a first-ever minimum wage rate for casting directors, boosting those rates for associate casting directors and negotiating annual compensation increases for casting assistants. (Casting assistants joined the union for the first time in mid-August.) The union also advocated for minimum duration of employment contract language for casting directors and bargained health and pension benefits for casting assistants.

Negotiations began on Aug. 26 and paused after the first week, with the union claiming that the AMPTP needed more time “to respect and compensate Los Angeles and New York Casting Professionals fairly.” Bargaining resumed on Monday, with an additional date added on Friday after the two parties did not come to an agreement by Tuesday.