Production assistants working on CBS Studios' "Cupertino" have voted unanimously to unionize under LiUNA Local 724, marking the labor organization's first successful organizing effort on a CBS series.
The New Jersey-based crew members cast their ballots in favor of union representation, a development that signals growing momentum in organizing efforts across the television production landscape. LiUNA Local 724, which represents laborers and construction workers, has expanded into entertainment production organizing in recent years.
The unionization vote arrives during an intensifying period of labor activity in Hollywood. Following the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, production staff below-the-line workers have increasingly pursued union representation to secure better wages, working conditions, and benefits. While crew positions like cinematographers and editors already operate under union agreements, production assistant roles have remained largely non-unionized across the industry, giving them minimal job protections.
"Cupertino," a CBS Studios production, centers on the Apple headquarters town and represents the type of premium broadcast content where unionization efforts have concentrated. The unanimous vote demonstrates strong worker sentiment around labor organization despite industry resistance to expanding union rolls.
The victory gives LiUNA Local 724 a foothold at a major studio, potentially opening pathways for organizing campaigns on other CBS productions. Industry observers note that PAs performing essential set work, logistics, and coordination functions rarely earn more than minimum wage while working grueling hours without overtime protections or health benefits that unionized positions typically secure.
The unionization effort reflects broader tension between studios attempting to maintain production efficiency and workers seeking equity. CBS Studios now faces negotiations with the newly represented crew on compensation structures and working conditions for the "Cupertino" production and potentially future series. The outcome could influence organizing strategies targeting other major studios and streaming platforms expanding their production footprints.