NBC’s One Chicago shows might not be coming back until the first week of October, but cameras will soon begin rolling on the new seasons of Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, and Chicago PD. All three series are expected to begin production in late July, with the cast and crews heading back to set to begin work on the new seasons coming our way this fall.
Before cameras roll on the next seasons of Chicago Fire and Chicago Med, the crews behind the scenes have reason to celebrate. Production assistants on both NBC dramas have officially ratified a union contract, marking a major step forward for the crews who help keep the long-running series running smoothly.
As first reported by Variety, Chicago Fire and Chicago Med are the latest scripted series to ratify union contracts as part of a broader unionization campaign for production assistants in the industry. This new deal will cover the 26 employees working as production assistants on Chicago Med as well as the 35 employees working as production assistants on Chicago Fire.
“I want to thank the company for being a collaborative partner throughout this process and for recognizing the importance of quality healthcare, fair wages, and strong workplace protections for our newest LIUNA members,” said Alex Aguilar, the business manager of Local 724, who will represent the Chicago Fire and Chicago Med teams via a statement released to Variety. “These agreements are a testament to what can be achieved when labor and management work together in good faith.”
This new contract will help to ensure the production assistants working on both shows will have access to the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans, provide higher minimum wages, and provide access to paid holidays, meal penalties, and sick leave.
Seeing Chicago Fire and Chicago Med ratify deals for their production assistants might not seem like a big deal to the causal fans, but it’s a major milestone for both shows and should be celebrated!
Production assistants are truly the unsung heroes of the industry and are the backbone of a TV set, working tirelessly to ensure the shows we all know and love make it to the screen. It’s hard to narrow down the list of tasks that production assistants are responsible for, as the list includes such a wide range of essential support tasks, including coordinating schedules, assisting various departments, helping with crowd control, taking care of errands, and making things run smoothly by ensuring the cast and crew have what they need throughout the filming. Basically, they’re the oil that keeps the machine running smoothly!
It’s unclear whether there are ongoing discussions for Chicago PD production assistants, but we certainly hope to see the last of the One Chicago shows join the growing list of shows to organize unions for production assistants, which includes the likes of Abbott Elementary and The Pitt, among others.
