Production assistants on CBS’ upcoming legal drama Cupertino have unanimously voted to unionize with LiUNA Local 724.
The vote, which concluded Wednesday, marks the first union election that the Production Assistants United movement, which is affiliated with the LiUNA Local, has won at a CBS Studios production. Out of 25 eligible production assistants, 13 voted to join LiUNA Local 724 in the National Labor Relations Board election, while the ballots of three were challenged.
“Our unanimous decision is a testament to the power of production assistants and the need for change in the entertainment industry. We are excited to come together and begin the work of negotiating our first contract,” the production assistants on the project said in a statement.
The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to CBS Studios for comment.
Set to premiere this fall, Cupertino follows a former lawyer for a start-up (Mike Colter) who, after being swindled by his former employer, opens up a law firm with another attorney to advocate for the little guy in disputes with tech titans. Despite the fact that it is set in Silicon Valley, the Robert and Michelle King-created show has been shooting its first season in New Jersey.
The vote at Cupertino is notable, given that so far the majority of the Production Assistants United movement’s victories have taken place on Warner Bros. Television shows (The Pitt, Abbott Elementary, George & Mandy’s First Marriage and All American) and Universal Television series (Chicago Med, Chicago Fire and The Four Seasons). The union’s next step will be to come together with CBS Studios to negotiate a first contract.
In the past, Production Assistants United contracts have entailed providing health coverage to production assistants, establishing minimum pay rates and holiday provisions and creating a committee to examine career pathways for these often early-career workers.
“Show by show and studio by studio, PAs are choosing union every time with LiUNA Local 724,” said Ethan Ravens, Director of Organizing of Production Assistants United. “Cupertino is the latest victory, and it will not be the last.”
