Hudson Pacific Properties is a West Coast real estate firm that recently expanded its business into the motion picture industry. In 2021, it acquired Zio Studio Services and Star Waggons, where workers provide transportation and logistics services to studio productions. Earlier this year, Hudson Pacific also acquired Quixote Studios, which provides studio space, vehicles and equipment to film and TV productions.L.A.
“First and foremost, we are proud of these workers and their resolve,” said Lindsay Dougherty, Local 399’s principal officer and director of the Teamsters Motion Picture and Theatrical Trade Division. “Each unit has been essential to the growth and success of these companies. The workers who tirelessly give their time and talents on the job deserve the assurance that they will be protected and part of the next phase of growth. That is something only a collective bargaining agreement can provide.
“We were expecting positive changes with Hudson Pacific coming in,” said Diego Castillo, a seven-year employee working as a material coordinator at Star Waggons. “We had high hopes with the new direction of Star Waggons. But then we started to realize we were getting less and being expected to produce more. I think unionization is long overdue. We’re done waiting to be rescued. We realized we needed to do this for ourselves and our families.
“We are hopeful to see these workers voluntarily recognized and work collaboratively with these three companies,” Dougherty said. “We are asking Hudson Pacific Properties to join us in a partnership that will be mutually beneficial for both the workers and their respective employers.”