Union leaders say people who work in film and TV are concerned about the ongoing court battle over the Paramount-Warner Brothers merger.
They’re urging all sides to get together and talk with the goal of avoiding ongoing litigation.
Thom Davis, former IATSE Local 80 vice president, said, “Uncertainty is the enemy of this industry.”
“We ask that the two sides come together, try to work something out and do it as quickly as possible so that as the industry starts to recover here in Los Angeles, we can be part of that recovery and move things in a direction where those jobs that have been lost are recreated,” he said.
Malakhi Simmons, vice president of IATSE Local 728, said he and other leaders are hoping for “a positive outcome that can remove any uncertainty about this prospective merger.”
“There's less work for our members and their livelihoods that support their families at a time when film and television production is down 25 to 40% globally and even more in certain areas of California and Los Angeles,” he said. “It's very important that we move forward in a positive direction that removes this uncertainty.”
In July, California AG Rob Bonta and attorneys general from 11 other states filed a lawsuit to block the merger, arguing that it would give one company too much control over movies and basic cable programming.
Bonta did tell CNBC that he is willing to have conversations outside the courtroom to potentially resolve this antitrust case.
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