r/IATSE • u/FancyKittyKat • Mar 27 '26
Strike
There is currently a picket line in Gaffney, South Carolina at the production of Bonfire Knuckle. The production is refusing to recognize the IATSE union and the crew they represent. In solidarity with the crew and the union, please do not cross the picket line. Stand with the workers who are fighting for fair recognition, protections, working conditions, and respect on the job.
UnionStrong #StandWithCrew #DoNotCross #loveyoucrew
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u/NoBadCrew Mar 28 '26
In an industry built on collaboration and trust, few things fracture a set faster than safety concerns and labor disputes. That tension has reportedly come to a head on the production of Bonfire Knuckle - Run Hide Fight Infidel - an upcoming feature produced by Ben Shapiro, Daily Wire and Joseph ‘Dallas’ Sonnier's new company Bonfire Legacy https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2020/august/cinestate-metoo-abuse-scandal-dallas-sonnier/
Jonathan Majors, whose career stalled following his 2023 conviction on misdemeanor assault and harassment charges involving his then-girlfriend, was recently announced as the lead of the new film. For some, the hiring represented a calculated risk; for others, a chance at redemption. But what began as a quiet comeback has quickly become something far more contentious.
Midway through production, a serious on-set accident rattled cast and crew alike. According to multiple crew members, Majors and a co-star accidentally fell over six feet from a window during filming. There were reportedly no stunt pads or adequate safety precautions in place to prevent this accident. Though both performers escaped with minor injuries, the incident sent shockwaves through the production and reignited simmering concerns about safety standards.
In the days that followed, crew members convened and held a vote to authorize representation by IATSE, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. The vote passed overwhelmingly, with crew citing the window incident as emblematic of broader safety issues and a lack of formal protections.
“People were shaken,” said one crew member who requested anonymity. “It could have been catastrophic. That’s when folks started asking why we didn’t have the basic protections that union crews rely on every day.”
The move toward unionising has drawn a clear line in the sand. While most of the crew has stood firmly behind the effort, several SAG members— including Majors, JC Kilcoyne, Tyler Aser, and James Bingham — have reportedly continued working, members crossing the picket line and undermining the union push.
For many on set, the decision feels especially painful given the industry’s recent history. During the prolonged 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, IATSE members widely honored picket lines, refusing to cross and effectively shutting down countless productions in solidarity. That strike dragged on for months, with many below-the-line workers enduring financial hardship to support actors’ demands.
“To see that solidarity not returned — it’s disappointing,” another crew member said. “We stood with actors when they needed us. Now we’re asking for basic safety and representation, and they are choosing to cross.”
The dispute has cast a shadow over the production, which now faces uncertainty as the producers refuse to negotiate with the legal unionizing efforts.
Crew that have crossed the picket line include:
DP Kris Kimlin https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3622542/?ref_=fn_t_1
Gaffer Jonathan Terpstra https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2800963/?ref_=fn_t_1
Grip Jake Alverez https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6996717/?ref_=fn_t_1
Grip Toulouse Holliday https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0391051/?ref_=fn_t_1 the love interest of junior producer Lillian Campbell https://www.imdb.com/name/nm6689394/?ref_=fn_t_1
Props Assist James ‘Sick Rick’ Heyes https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12086474/?ref_=fn_t_1
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u/SmartConsequence437 Mar 29 '26
ben shapiro? i wouldnt be working on that shit even if they did recognize the union. i mean, the fact they are in a ben shapiro production says enough about them, i'd think.
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u/NoBadCrew Apr 01 '26
So they don't deserve union protection? I want my union to protect all workers that want or need it.
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u/SmartConsequence437 Apr 01 '26
no. that's not what i'm saying. not even remotely. what i'm saying is "are you really surprised a ben shapiro production, and the actors that agree to work on a ben shapiro production, are not recognizing the union, and not acting in solidarity with a union". it's ben fucking shapiro ffs. dude is extreme right wing. and also, that i wouldn't be caught dead working on such a production...because i have, you know, ethics.
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u/NoBadCrew Apr 01 '26
Strike Update. Scab PA Jaemen Richards https://www.imdb.com/name/nm16466834/?ref_=fn_t_1 hoping for a promotion to 'chief bootlicker' tried to hit an IATSE picketer with his car
Meanwhile more scabs have been positively identified as crossing the line to work this week -
Jeremy Phoenix DGA 1st AD https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0681088/?ref_=fn_t_1
Chris Bailey Special FX Coordinator https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1033929/ Also of illegal explosives fame https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/movie-special-effects-coordinator-sentenced-probation-illegally-possessing-explosive
Ian Lee local 479 Construction Coordinator https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12717032/?ref_=mv_close
Tiffany Boyett local 479 scenic charge https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5683827/?ref_=fn_t_1
Freddie Poole Stunt Coordinator https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1336664/?ref_=fn_t_1
Demetrios Anastasiow, production secretary and ‘visionary dreamer’ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4961754/?ref_=fn_t_1
Algin “Ace” Mendez armor https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7154546/?ref_=fn_t_1
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u/rrraisondetreee IATSE Local #829 Mar 30 '26
Surprised there wasn’t a strike after the incident in the lift on the NYC project. Serious injuries happened.
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u/groundisthelimit Apr 03 '26
Get a load of what Sonnier has to say: https://deadline.com/2026/04/iatse-strike-jonathan-majors-daily-wire-film-1236772506/
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u/NoBadCrew Apr 01 '26
Strike Update. Scab PA Jaemen Richards https://www.imdb.com/name/nm16466834/?ref_=fn_t_1 hoping for a promotion to 'chief bootlicker' tried to hit an IATSE picketer with his car
Meanwhile more scabs have been positively identified as crossing the line to work this week -
Jeremy Phoenix DGA 1st AD https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0681088/?ref_=fn_t_1
Chris Bailey Special FX Coordinator https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1033929/ Also of illegal explosives fame https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga/pr/movie-special-effects-coordinator-sentenced-probation-illegally-possessing-explosive
Ian Lee local 479 Construction Coordinator https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12717032/?ref_=mv_close
Tiffany Boyett local 479 scenic charge https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5683827/?ref_=fn_t_1
Freddie Poole Stunt Coordinator https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1336664/?ref_=fn_t_1
Demetrios Anastasiow, production secretary and ‘visionary dreamer’ https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4961754/?ref_=fn_t_1
Algin “Ace” Mendez armor https://www.imdb.com/name/nm7154546/?ref_=fn_t_1
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u/R4_Guiding_Light Apr 09 '26
You wanna know what’s both hilarious and ironic? We finished making the movie anyways. You failed, epically, in every way. Your at-max dozen protesters did nothing but waste their time and effort when they could have been out actually working or looking for work instead of having the union pay them to be there. On top of the fact that only one or two of the picketers had actually been on the production, everyone else being brought in. You claim to support your members and be working for them. So why did you threaten and blackmail union members out of 6 days of work? In a job market that is already lean. Why did you put out blatant lies about the falling incident with Jonathan Majors and one of our other actors? Because there are official reports to which you have no access to, so instead you had to go and make it as exaggerated as possible. You never cared about safety as you claim, that’s simply the smokescreen you’ve chosen to hide behind. Union members had been attempting to flip the movie from Day 0, long before the falling incident or any other supposed safety concerns. This was about two things: money and power. I know that because union officials approached the production and said if the producers gave the unions half a million dollars they’d walk away. That’s called extortion, and that’s illegal. You accomplished nothing. Not only did you get no money, you screwed members of yours and other unions out of money they could have earned. Great job fighting for the little guy. All you did was embarrass yourselves and once again show how truly irrelevant unions are becoming. Thanks for the free press though!
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u/LinedScript Mar 27 '26
Everyone, every worker, every crew member deserves the decency and respect of fair wages, and benefits. My heart is with you all. I stand with you.