FAQ

Production Assistants United is a grassroots movement organizing Production Assistants, Assistants, and Production Secretaries in Live-Action Film and TV to form a union. On Labor Day 2024 we affiliated with LiUNA, who’ve given us organizing resources to obtain our union.

Production Assistants United is organizing under the Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA), a union with a strong track record of winning contracts for workers in film, construction, and other industries. This partnership gives us the legal support, organizing resources, and industry experience needed to take on the major studios. Once we win our union, LiUNA will help us negotiate a contract that secures better wages, working conditions, and protections, backed by the full strength of a powerful, established union.

PAs are some of the most overworked and underpaid workers in the industry, with long hours, low wages, and little job security. A union will give PAs a collective voice to negotiate for the same protections our union co-workers enjoy.

Any PA, Assistant, or Production Secretary working in Film or TV in America can be part of this movement. If you’ve worked as one of these on a production within the past 2 years, you can sign an authorization card today to ensure you win this union.. Fill out the survey here to get connected to an organizer.

We as Production Assistants will have the power to negotiate for better wages, overtime protections, and safer working conditions. With collective bargaining, you and your fellow PAs can push for industry standards that recognize the essential role of PAs. However, winning these improvements only happens if you and your coworkers take action. The first step to winning more power is for you and your coworkers to sign union cards.. Building strong support and showing the studios that we’re united is the only way to secure a contract that reflects your needs. The more PAs who sign on, the more leverage we have to make real, lasting changes.

First, we need a majority of PAs to sign authorization cards, which proves to the government that PAs want a union. Once we reach majority support, we can file for official recognition and negotiate a contract that sets fair standards for all PAs. Our strategy to target the studios individually. 

An authorization card is a legal document that shows you support forming a union. It does not obligate you to pay dues or take any action beyond supporting the union effort. Signing a card is free and does not require any fee. These cards are what we will submit to the government and our employers to prove a majority of the workforce wants a union. The more PAs who sign, the stronger we become.

Not yet. Signing the card is the first step in proving majority support. Once we win recognition, we will negotiate a contract, and at that point, membership will be formalized.

It is a possibility that studios will try to hire fewer PAs once we have a contract as an illegal union busting stragegy, but this can be mitigated by winning a contract that has minimum hiring requirements and outlined job roles that can't be doubled up. The bottom line is that the bosses will always try to cut corners, but if we stay organized and stay vigilant, we will have power.

Yes! Many industry workers are members of multiple unions, depending on their roles on different productions. Being in another union does not prevent you from joining another union or guild.

You can help by reaching out to other PAs and encouraging them to fill out the survey. We also hold town halls, meetups, and zoom trainings every Saturday at 3pm PST where you can learn more on how to help.

This is the furthest any PA union effort has ever gotten. We have major industry backing, experienced labor organizers supporting us, and a very real pathway to winning union recognition. At this point our efforts are enviable.

Dues are set democratically once we negotiate a contract. They will be a small percentage of earnings, but the benefits of higher wages, overtime pay, and job protections will far outweigh the cost. Dues are what give us the power to enforce our rights, fund legal support, and negotiate better contracts. They ensure we have the resources to fight.

Join the Discord (Link), attend monthly town halls on the 19th at 5pm PT, and follow on social media. Also every PA should fill out the survey and join our newsletter.

This is a nationwide effort!

Once we have majority support at a studio, we can file for union recognition. From there, we will negotiate a contract with that studio. Then we move on to the next studio.

The DGA supports PAs efforts to unionize and even had leadership speak at the big PA Rally. When our union is formed PAs can join while still earning days towards the DGA. They can also be in the DGA while in the PA union. They can also leave the PA union at any time. The DGA will not punish any PA for seeking union representation.

Our goal is unionize Production Assistants at all studios in the country but we’re organizing power studio by studio. We’re starting where we have the most momentum so we can win faster and bring more PAs into the union sooner. Each win makes the next one easier.

Yes! IATSE, SAG-AFTRA, Teamsters, DGA, WGA, AFM, and IBEW all sent leadership to speak at our Big PA Rally in support of our PA unionizing campaign.