The IATSE Local 161 Theatrical and TV Series Production Agreement and Supplemental Digital Production Agreement have been ratified effective March 9, 2025.

To assist you with planning for retroactive payments, budgeting, hiring, and benefits discussions for your upcoming productions, we've highlighted the latest updates below.

Unless otherwise stated rule updates apply to both the Majors Agreement and Supplemental Digital Agreement.

Term

• March 3, 2025 to March 4, 2028
• Terms and Conditions are effective March 9, 2025 unless otherwise listed

Titles

Effective March 9, 2025: A footnote was added that allows the Production Office Coordinator and Assistant Production Office Coordinator to be given the titles “Production Coordinator” and “Assistant Production Coordinator”, respectively, at the discretion of the producer. 

Wages

• Effective March 9, 2025: References in the sideletters to “prior year” or “prior period” rate will be changed to “3% reduction in the then-current wage rates.”

• Majors Agreement
  
  • Effective March 9, 2025: 7% increase
  • Effective March 8, 2026: 4% increase
  • Effective March 7, 2027: 3.5% increase
• Rates for the Assistant Production Office Coordinator 
  • Effective March 9, 2025: 7% increase or $28.50 per hour, whichever is greater
  • Effective March 8, 2026: 4% increase or $30.00 per hour, whichever is greater
  • Effective March 7, 2027: 3.5% increase or $31.50 per hour, whichever is greater
• Supplemental Digital Agreement
  • General Rates
    • Effective September 28, 2025: 4% increase
    • Effective October 4, 2026: 3.5% increase
    • Effective October 3, 2027: Increase will be based on the then negotiated increase for Script Supervisors in the IATSE Videotape Agreement

Benefits

• Majors Agreement
  • Theatrical 
    • NY/NJ/CT
      • Premium Rate (Non-$15 million contributors):
        • Effective March 23, 2025: Increases from $17.514 per hour to $19.311 per hour (Note: This increase is not listed in the Local 161 MOA. East Coast rates are evaluated each year by MPIPHP and signatory companies are notified if increases are necessary.) 
      • Basic Rate ($15 Million Contributors): 
        • Effective March 9, 2025: Increases from $8.1275 per hour to $9.5175 per hour
        • Effective March 8, 2026: Increases from $9.5175 per hour to $9.9675 per hour
        • Effective March 7, 2027: Increases from $9.9675 per hour to $10.4175 per hour 
    • Outside NY/NJ/CT/FL
      • Effective March 9, 2025: Increases from $151.00 per day to $175.00 per day
      • Effective March 8, 2026: Increases From $175.00 per day to $190.00 per day
      • Effective March 7, 2027: Increases From $175.00 per day to $205.00 per day
    • Florida
      • Effective March 9, 2025: Increases from $154.00 per day to $175.00 per day
      • Effective March 8, 2026: Increases from $175.00 per day to $190.00 per day
      • Effective March 7, 2027: Increases from $175.00 per day to $205.00 per day
  • Television
    • DE/MA/ME/NH/PA/RI/VT/DC
      • Effective March 9, 2025: Increases from $149.00 per day to $175.00 per day
      • Effective March 8, 2026: Increases from $175.00 per day to $190.00 per day
      • Effective March 7, 2027: Increases from $175.00 per day to $205.00 per day
    • FL/GA/MD/NC/SC/VA/WV
      • Effective March 9, 2025: Increases from $141.00 per day to $175.00 per day
      • Effective March 8, 2026: Increases from $175.00 per day to $190.00 per day
      • Effective March 7, 2027: Increases from $175.00 per day to $205.00 per day
• Supplemental Digital Agreement
  • DE/MA/ME/NH/PA/RI/VT/DC
    • Effective March 9, 2025: Increases from $149.00 per day to $175.00 per day
    • Effective March 8, 2026: Increases from $175.00 per day to $190.00 per day
    • Effective March 7, 2027: Increases from $175.00 per day to $205.00 per day
  • FL/GA/MD/NC/SC/VA/WV
    • Effective March 9, 2025: Increases from $141.00 per day to $175.00 per day
    • Effective March 8, 2026: Increases from $175.00 per day to $190.00 per day
    • Effective March 7, 2027: Increases from $175.00 per day to $205.00 per day

Benefits for Travel Only Days

• Hourly Contributions effective 3/9/2025: Hourly benefit contributions will be due for actual time traveled with a minimum of 4 hours and maximum of 8 hours.
• Daily Contributions effective 3/9/2025:
  • Less than or equal to 6 hours traveled: ½ of the then-current daily benefit is owed
  • More than 6 hours traveled: Full amount of the then-current daily benefit is owed

Overtime

Rest Period

Effective for Motion Pictures, Seasons of Series or Mini-Series that start principal photography after 6/8/2025: 

When less than 14 elapsed hours were worked the previous day -

• If time is invaded by less than 30 minutes: ½ hour of additional 2X
• If time is invaded by more than 30 minutes: Additional 2X is owed for all invaded hours in increments of 1/10 of an hour

Wrap Time

Effective 3/9/2025: Script Supervisors, Production Office Coordinators, and Assistant Production Office Coordinators Must be paid on a pro rata basis for all wrap time required by the producer.

Courtesy Housing or Transportation

Effective 3/9/2025: If an employee works in excess of 14 hours, the employer must offer either courtesy housing or transportation at the employer’s expense.

Use of Personal Vehicle

Effective 3/9/2025: If an employee is required to use their personal vehicle, employer will reimburse the employee for any pre-approved parking, tolls or fees incurred and will also pay mileage based on the then-current IRS rate. 

Mileage Rate

Effective 3/9/2025: Change the mileage rate from $0.30 per mile to be equal to the then-current IRS allowable mileage rate.

Nearby Hire Living Allowances

• Effective 3/9/2025: Weekly Allowance increases from $420.00 per week to $490 per week
• Effective 3/1/2026: Weekly Allowance increases from $490.00 per week to $560 per week
• Effective 2/28/2027: Weekly Allowance increases from $560.00 per week to $630 per week

Per Diem for Distant Hires Working Under Part IV (FL/GA/MD/NC/SC/VA/WV) of the Agreement:

• Effective 3/9/2025: Increases from $51.00 per day to $59.50 per day
• Effective 3/8/2026: Increases from $59.50 per day to $70.00 per day
• Effective 3/7/2027: Increases from $70.00 per day to $75 per day

Box Rental

Effective 3/9/2025: A new article was added that employers must reasonably compensate the employee for use of any equipment or software provided by the employee and specifically approved by the employer.

Sick Time Outside the State of NY

• Effective 4/8/2025: Maximum sick time accrual increases from 48 to 80 hours.
• Effective 4/8/2025: If the employer elects to provide a bank of hours in lieu of an accrual, the time frame of when that bank becomes available decreases from 90 to 45 days.
• Effective 4/8/2025: If the employer elects to provide a bank of hours in lieu of an accrual, the amount of banked hours increases from 24 hours (3 days) to 40 hours (5 days).

Bereavement Leave

• Effective 3/9/2025: Regularly-scheduled employees must be allowed 3 days of paid bereavement leave in the event of the death of a family member.
• Family Member is defined as:
  • Biological, adopted, or foster child, stepchild, legal ward, or a child to whom the employee stands in loco parentis
  • Biological, adopted, or foster parent, stepparent, or legal guardian of the employee or the employee’s spouse or domestic partner or a person who stood in loco parentis when the employee was a minor child
  • Spouse
  • Registered Domestic Partner
  • Grandparent
  • Grandchild
  • Sibling

Holidays

• • Majors Agreement:
    • Effective 3/9/2025: Juneteenth is added as a recognized holiday.
    • Effective 3/9/2025: The holiday accrual rate for Local 161 members working under part III of the agreement (CT/DE/MA/ME/NH/NJ/NY/PA/RI/VT/DC) increases from 4% of annual straight time earnings to 4.583% of annual straight time earnings.
  • Supplemental Digital Agreement:
    • Effective 3/9/2025: Juneteenth is added as a recognized holiday.
    • Effective 3/9/2025: The holiday accrual rate increases from 4% of annual straight time earnings to 4.583% of annual straight time earnings.

Severance Pay

• Supplemental Digital Agreement:
  • Effective 3/9/2025: Severance Pay provisions were added to the supplemental digital agreement for employees with a minimum of 1 “qualified year” of work for the producer.
  • See the MOA for specific provisions as well as the definition of a “qualified year.”

Productions Made for New Media:

• Effective 3/9/2025: AVOD and FAST Channel new media productions are included in the provisions of the New Media Sideletter.
• Effective for new seasons of an episodic series that commence production on or after 3/2/2025: New Media Projects that previously used rates from the previous contract year will now use either rates that are reduced 3% from the regular television rates or the regular television rates depending on the type of project.
• Effective for certain Low Budget productions that commence production on or after 3/2/2025: The rates paid will be the “Long Form” rates reduced by 6%.
• See charts in MOA for additional information.

Artificial Intelligence

Effective 3/9/2025: AI provisions were added to both the Majors and Supplemental Digital Agreements.

Earnings Report

Effective 3/9/2025: Upon request of Local 161 Employer will authorize its payroll company to provide the Union earnings reports for employees working under part III of the agreement (CT/DE/MA/ME/NH/NJ/NY/PA/RI/VT/DC).