Post-Production Workers In At Several Studios In New York Win Right To Be Represented By Communications Workers Of America At Bargaining Table

deadline.com:

A small group of freelance post-production coordinators in New York have voted unanimously to join the Communications Workers of America in NLRB-supervised elections at eight separate companies, including Apple Studios, Netflix Productions, Universal Television, CBS Studios, Showtime, HBO, Turner and Disney Pictures.According to the union, it’s the first time that post-production coordinators in New York’s film and TV industry have won formal union representation, and the first time that workers employed by any Apple subsidiary have ever won an NLRB election for union representation.“My co-workers and I are excited to become the first group of workers to vote for a union at Apple through the NLRB process,” said Frankie Fortunato, a post-production coordinator at Apple Studios.Only three post-production workers at Apple Studios took part in the vote, but going forward, any others employed there, and at the other seven companies, will be covered by whatever contract the union can negotiate with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers.“I am proud of the phenomenal organizing that led us to this victory,” said Lauren Orban, post-production coordinator at Disney. “It is a bright new day for post-production coordinators in New York, who have been overlooked and undervalued for a long time.”The workers, who are now members of CWA Local 1101, “have lacked union benefits and protections in an industry where an overwhelming majority of their colleagues have collective bargaining agreements,” the union said, vowing that “the post-production coordinators will continue to be fully supported by their new union family as they negotiate a fair contract.”The union added: “These victories are representative of the growing