Production assistants (PAs) on the Emmy-nominated hospital drama, The Pitt, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to join Production Assistants United, an affiliate of Laborers (LIUNA) Local 724. PAs perform a number of important - and often undervalued, logistical and administrative duties and are central to film and television sets running smoothly. Hours are often long and the pay is low, but now some of these Workers are fighting to get the same Union benefits so many of their Entertainment Industry Colleagues already enjoy. For weeks, Organizers camped outside the Gate 8 entrance to the Warner Brothers lot, where they held powerful conversations and secured a super-majority of signed Union Authorization Cards. Production Assistants United reported PAs for The Pitt are eager to begin negotiations over core priorities like wages, Union health and pension plans, rest breaks and meal penalties. Production Assistants United organizer Ethan Ravens said: “This is the first time ever that we can say PAs and Assistants are Unionizing on a show like this in film and TV,” said. It’s huge.” Added Secretary-Treasurer Local 724 Alex Aguilar: “This action reflects our belief that creative labor is essential labor and that all Workers deserve the same rights, protections and collective power as any other Worker.”

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