Production Assistants Strike for Fair Wages on New CBS Show

Production assistants on CBS' new legal drama, "Cupertino," initiated a union election on Friday, aiming to join the Production Assistants United labor group. Organizers represent 23 PAs on the show, which films in New Jersey despite its name referencing the tech hub. The series is set to premiere on CBS this fall.

In a statement, the organizing PAs highlighted the critical need for safeguards like healthcare and fair wages, asserting their right to these benefits. They expressed concern over studios actively diminishing PA contract standards, including the removal of 12-hour guarantees and pay rate reductions. This union effort seeks to ensure PAs have a voice in decisions affecting their work.

Production Assistants United noted that 12-hour guarantees are increasingly absent in non-union deal memos for PAs in the New York area. This marks the first unionization drive by Production Assistants United for a CBS Studios production. The group, affiliated with LiUNA Local 724, has successfully unionized several other television shows.