IATSE strike could shut down The Bachelor Season 26
The Bachelor Season 26 is currently filming, but a nationwide strike by crew members may bring production to a halt.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE) is a labor union for workers in the entertainment industry. Founded in 1893, IATSE now represents approximately 150,000 members, such as sound technicians, set designers, production assistants, and more.
On October 13, 2021, IATSE announced that film and television crews will go on strike on Monday, October 18, if they don’t reach an agreement with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). According to its website, AMPTP is “the entertainment industry’s official collective bargaining representative” for negotiating contracts with unions.
Three important contracts between IATSE and AMPTP expired in July and September 2021, but since then, negotiations on new contracts have stalled. Now, 60,000 crew members across the country are prepared to walk out if their terms aren’t met.
Will the IATSE strike affect The Bachelor Season 26?
It’s likely. Most major productions like The Bachelor employ union laborers. In particular, many reality TV shows are covered by a contract called “the Videotape Agreement.” This is one of the three contracts that expired this year and hasn’t been successfully re-negotiated.
One of the many production companies subject to the Videotape Agreement is Warner Bros. Television – which produces The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, and Bachelor in Paradise.
If the strike does happen on October 18, it’s possible that all cast members of The Bachelor Season 26 would be sent home until an agreement is reached.
What do IATSE members want?
The union says that AMPTP has failed to promise basic needs for crew members, from livable wages to reasonable working hours and breaks.
An Instagram account called @ia_stories shares anonymous experiences of people working in the film, television, and theatre industries. The stories reveal details of poor health insurance, long hours, toxic workplace cultures, and severe burnout.
“It is incomprehensible that the AMPTP, an ensemble that includes media mega-corporations collectively worth trillions of dollars, claims it cannot provide behind-the-scenes crews with basic human necessities like adequate sleep, meal breaks, and living wages,” IATSE’s petition states. “These issues are real for the workers in our industry and change is long overdue.”
What are conditions like on The Bachelor?
We don’t know much about what it’s like to work on The Bachelor Season 26, but the show has faced accusations from staff members before.
In 2016, a former production assistant named Connor Eckert sued NZK Productions, the other production company that works on The Bachelor. He claimed that PAs were denied typical 30-minute meal breaks or rest periods. NZK Productions, unlike Warner Bros. Television, doesn’t seem to be part of the Videotape Agreement. Based on court filings, it looks like a judgment was reached in the case, though no further details are available.
Becky Steenhoek, a former producer on The Bachelorette, filed a wrongful termination suit in 2017 against Warner Bros. and several other individuals. She alleged that she was fired after complaining of sexual harassment by a number of the show’s executive producers. In 2019, Steenhoek requested that the case be dismissed.
What can you do?
As much as we love (or love to hate) watching The Bachelor, people shouldn’t be mistreated just to bring it to our screens. Even if the staff on The Bachelor Season 26 do have safe working conditions now, they’ll probably still strike in solidarity with their fellow IATSE members.
If you want to support those working behind the scenes, IATSE has a petition on their homepage urging AMPTP to make a fair deal.
Next. Bachelor in Paradise: Couples who are still together. dark
Are you worried about The Bachelor Season 26? Share your thoughts in the comments.
The Bachelorette Season 18 premieres Tuesday, October 19 at 8 PM EST on ABC.