CHICAGO — Hollywood may be built on glamour, but the workaday reality is anything but. Of all the jobs on a film or TV set, the least glamorous might be that of production assistant. It’s the lowest in terms of status. It’s also one of the few roles that, until recently, was non-union.

Directors are covered by the DGA. Actors are covered by SAG-AFTRA. Producers have the PGA. And nearly all other crew members, from production designers to gaffers, are members of IATSE.

But production assistants working in television have begun unionizing as part of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, better known as LIUNA — including those who work on two NBC series, “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago Med.”

They ratified their first contract last month and, according to union representative Alex Aguilar, members were looking forward to going back to work on “Chicago Fire’s” 15th season and “Chicago Med’s” 12th season.

But PAs on both shows say they have seen their hours cut.

The union is “calling on NBCUniversal to immediately restore the longstanding 12-hour and 14-hour daily guarantees,” the elimination of which have resulted, for some, in a “43% reduction in their typical weekly take-home pay. At an hourly wage of $19.93, many of these workers now face serious financial hardship.” (Minimum wage in Chicago is $17.05.)

The union claims the reductions are in response to the unionization.

“Production assistants are among the lowest-paid workers in television production,” said Aguilar. “Workers should not lose the income they have historically relied upon simply because they chose to unionize. These guarantees have existed for years because they provide the livable income that production assistants depend on to support themselves and their families. We are committed to protecting those standards.”

When reached by the Tribune, NBCUniversal declined to comment.

“Chicago Fire” and “Chicago Med” are executive produced by Dick Wolf. There is a third series, “Chicago P.D.,” which is also part of the same franchise. Those PAs did not decide to unionize, and according to Aguilar, those PAs have not seen their hours reduced.

The job of production assistant has traditionally been an entry-level position and a way to get one’s foot in the door. But contractions in the TV and film industry have meant PAs are seeing fewer opportunities to move into higher-level jobs. Aguilar said there are some PAs who have worked on “Chicago Fire” for eight years. As a union, LIUNA has also organized workers on ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” and HBO Max’s “The Pitt.”

“I’ve had studio people come to us and say, ‘Why are you doing this? Leave these people alone.’ And it’s like, no, they need representation. They’re coming to us saying, ‘Please help us because we’re constantly getting screwed over.’”

A 12-hour or 14-hour workday is standard for production assistants in Hollywood, said Aguilar, “and that’s because they are the lowest paid and most exploited workers on a set.” Non-union PAs are not guaranteed meal breaks, “so they could make these folks work through their lunch” with no compensation. That was one of the issues addressed in their new contract.

PAs on “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago Med” also successfully negotiated for a more favorable healthcare benefit. As with other workplaces, overtime pay kicks in after eight hours, which means PAs working 12-hour days are paid at time-and-a-half for the last four hours. Typically, PAs are putting in 60-hour workweeks, and their duties can include everything from running errands to cleaning up messes to managing the general public when filming takes place in a location and impedes foot or car traffic.

“Chicago Fire” and “Chicago Med” follow a traditional network schedule, which means both cast and crew were off for the summer hiatus. They came back to work in July. Initially, PAs returned as non-union employees while their contract was being finalized. “And their non-union deal memo, they got the old terms that they’ve been working under for the last several seasons. But once they got their union deal memos (a couple of weeks later), the guarantees went away,” said Aguilar. Those guarantees were not specifically covered in the contract. “They told our folks: Well, you’re union now, so those are going away. We’re taking them away. And that’s when all hell broke loose.”

Some PAs are still getting 12-hour days, while others are getting eight. “That’s another thing where we were like, how do you pick and choose? At least be consistent across the board. Because if it’s really about you not having the money, then why would you pay some and not the others?” Aguilar said. “We have already heard from multiple PAs who say that if these cuts continue, they will have to find other jobs.”

He said he was told that “the company is going to operate in a different way now that they’re union.”

According to a 2020 profile of Wolf in Forbes, his many shows have been big moneymakers for him personally: “As a producer, Wolf commands as much as $200,000 per episode. His studio deal with Universal Television — a ‘Spielberg deal,’ as one leading Hollywood attorney put it — entitles him to half of his shows’ profits. That has put Wolf, despite his lavish lifestyle and his three divorces, on the path to becoming the rarest of Hollywood creatures: the creator billionaire.”

That deal has since been extended through 2027.

Aguilar said the union believes NBCUniversal is violating labor law, but has not yet filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.

“Our position is that the longstanding 12- and 14-hour guarantees were established terms and conditions of employment. Because hours and compensation are mandatory subjects of bargaining, an employer generally may not materially change them without first bargaining with the union, absent a clear waiver or another recognized exception. Local 724 did not agree to reduce those guarantees to eight hours. We believe that raises serious concerns under federal labor law, but the NLRB would ultimately determine whether a violation occurred.”

If NBCUniversal does not “fix this problem,” in Aguilar’s words, the union will file an unfair labor practice charge and, if appropriate, a contractual grievance.

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