Two scheduled 2026 pay changes under IATSE's current agreements are now in effect for covered work. Wage minimums in the Videotape Supplemental Agreement increased 3.5% on October 4, and qualifying unscripted programs reached the dramatic-show rates in Schedule 15a on October 14.
The changes come from the 2024–2027 Basic Agreement package. They do not mean every film, television, streaming, or reality worker receives the same rate: the applicable agreement, production type, classification, local, budget tier, start date, and individual deal still matter.
Why it matters
Crew members and production teams should be comparing current deal memos, timecards, payroll records, and budgets against the correct 2026 wage schedule. A rate sheet saved earlier in the year may no longer show the applicable minimum.
The timing is especially important for covered non-dramatic and unscripted work. IATSE's published summary says streaming non-dramatic programs are paid and worked under the Videotape Supplemental Agreement. That is a contract framework—not a blanket label for every online production.
What changed in October
- October 4: Videotape Supplemental Agreement wage minimums increased 3.5%. The agreement summary says the increase compounds on top of the scheduled 2024 and 2025 increases.
- October 14: For unscripted programs beginning principal photography after October 1, 2024, covered wage minimums move to the dramatic-show rates in Schedule 15a, except programs in the specified “DIY/how-to” or “docu-follow” formats.
A separate 3.5% general wage-minimum increase under the Basic Agreement took effect August 1, 2026. Workers and producers should not mix that date with the Videotape Supplemental Agreement's October 4 date.
What crews should verify
- The exact agreement and wage schedule covering the production.
- The worker's classification, local, production type, budget tier, and start date.
- Whether the rate in a deal memo is above scale and whether later increases are incorporated.
- Whether payroll has the current minimum and any applicable overtime, rest-period, holiday, travel, or benefit terms.
The union's public summary is a useful map, but it states that it is not contract language. The executed Memorandum of Agreement and current wage schedules control. Members with a rate or classification question should use their applicable local or contract representative rather than relying on a general news summary.
Primary sources
- IATSE: 2024–2027 Basic Agreement summary, including the Videotape Supplemental Agreement schedule
- IATSE: executed 2024 Basic Agreement Memorandum of Agreement
Update note
Published October 15, 2026, after the scheduled October 4 and October 14 changes. This is general industry information, not a wage determination or legal advice.