Chicago Fire, Chicago Med PAs Ratify First Union Contract
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- LIUNA Local 724 will represent 26 PAs on 'Chicago Med' and 35 on 'Chicago Fire' — both produced by Universal Television — under their first union contract, which grants access to the Motion Picture Industry Pension and Health Plans at significantly lower premiums than the employer-based coverage PAs previously received.
- Base wages will rise from $19.93/hour by 25 cents per year across the three-year deal, which also adds paid holidays, meal penalties, and sick leave — standard union benefits the non-union role had lacked.
- Ratification votes passed overwhelmingly: 24-3 on 'Chicago Fire' and 14-1 on 'Chicago Med,' with Local 724 business manager Alex Aguilar thanking Universal Television for being a 'collaborative partner' and recognizing 'the importance of quality healthcare, fair wages, and strong workplace protections.'
- Production Assistants United formed during the 2023 writers and actors strikes and allied with LIUNA to push for protections in a role that had traditionally been non-union and viewed primarily as a career-entry stepping stone.
- The contract includes a 'pathway subcommittee' to explore career advancement for PAs, while LIUNA continues negotiating on 'The Four Seasons,' another Universal show based in New York, and is pushing for a multi-employer industry-wide deal rather than organizing one show at a time.
Why it matters: Roughly 61 PAs across Universal's 'Chicago Fire' and 'Chicago Med' gain union representation and access to industry health and pension plans, though the 25-cent annual wage bump — about 1.25% per year — is modest. The bigger significance is structural: show-by-show wins build toward LIUNA's stated goal of a multi-employer contract covering a historically non-union role that has long served as an exploitative on-ramp into the industry.
