Production assistants on “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago Med” have voted to ratify their first union contract, as part of a broader unionization campaign for P.A.’s.
The deal covers 26 employees at “Chicago Med” and 35 at “Chicago Fire,” both of which are produced by Universal Television. The workers will be represented by LIUNA Local 724, which has previously organized P.A.’s on “Abbott Elementary,” “The Pitt,” and a couple of other shows.
The contract includes access to the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans, which offers significantly lower premiums than the employer-based health coverage the P.A.’s were previously afforded.
P.A.’s on the shows were getting a minimum of $19.93 an hour. That will increase 25 cents an hour for each of the three years of the contract. The deal also includes standard union benefits like paid holidays, meal penalties and sick leave.
Production assistants have traditionally been non-union, and the job was seen as a foot in the door that might lead to more stable employment. But during the 2023 writers and actors strikes, a group of P.A.’s formed Production Assistants United, which allied with LIUNA to seek union protections.
The organizing has since progressed show-by-show, with P.A.’s signing authorization cards to allow LIUNA to bargain on their behalf. LIUNA is still working on a contract with “The Four Seasons,” another Universal show that is based in New York.
“I want to thank the company for being a collaborative partner throughout this process and for recognizing the importance of quality healthcare, fair wages, and strong workplace protections for our newest LIUNA members,” said Alex Aguilar, the business manager of Local 724, in a statement. “These agreements are a testament to what can be achieved when labor and management work together in good faith.”
The contract includes a “pathway subcommittee” to discuss avenues for career advancement for P.A.’s. LIUNA hopes to eventually win a multi-employer deal that would cover P.A.’s across the industry, rather than signing up workers one show at a time.
On “Chicago Fire,” the vote was 24-3 in favor of ratification. On “Chicago Med,” it was 14-1.