One Chicago follows in the footsteps of The Pitt as production assistants on one of the shows vote to unionize, setting a precedent for TV shows shot in Chicago. Consisting of Chicago Fire, Chicago P.D., and Chicago Med, all three shows in the franchise shoot in the titular city, providing storylines highlighting various public servants and their work.
Now, The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that production assistants on the One Chicago series Chicago Fire have voted to unionize, a first for TV series that are shot in Chicago. The series won the National Labor Relations Board election with 18 favorable ballots between the 23 that could vote, making it an official element of behind-the-scenes work.
While the voting is done, though, the future of Chicago Fire and its union still has some ways to go. The NLRB will need to certify the vote themselves, which will then be followed by a meeting with NBC to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement. Production assistants Tim Hendrickson and Katya Saldaña made positive statements about the successful vote:
Tim Hendrickson: Today’s vote represents the first step in a larger fight for us.
Katya Saldaña: We care about our show, our jobs and each other. Our goal is to make sure we are taken care of as much as everyone else because we work just as hard as they do. This victory is one step forward, a victory, to see the change we want in the industry for all PAs in all productions.
The successful vote comes not long after four other major union elections for production assistants in other high-profile TV shows. This includes unanimous votes from HBO Max’s The Pitt and ABC’s Abbott Elementary, alongside success for both The CW’s All American and CBS’ Georgie & Mandy’s First Marriage.
The NLRB votes all happened successfully during December of this year, except The Pitt, which happened in September. The medical thriller was the first major TV production to have production assistants unionize, with the series now harboring a labor contract tied to it. The same will likely be said for Chicago Fire in the coming months.
With the union now formed, it marks another key turning point for a multitude of TV series that are starting to see their production assistants unionize. The show is the first in the One Chicago universe to do so. While there’s no word on whether the other two series will be following suit, it’s a strong sign for potentially more to come.
As for the future of Chicago Fire, union elements likely won’t be fortified until the series comes back for another season. Given it’s continued to be a powerhouse for NBC, the show will no doubt see a renewal. When it does, the behind-the-scenes for production assistants will be quite different thanks to their new vote.
