Production assistants on CBS’ upcoming Silicon Valley legal drama Cupertino filed for a union election on Friday in an attempt to join the Production Assistants United labor group.
A group of organizers filed to unionize 23 PAs on the Mike Colter-fronted show on Friday. Though named after the Californian city that is home to Apple, the CBS series from The Good Fight creators Robert and Michelle King films in New Jersey.
Cupertino, which is slated to premiere in the fall on CBS, follows a former tech lawyer (Colter) who, after experiencing a betrayal from his former employer, teams up with another attorney to represent underdogs in litigation against tech giants.
CBS Studios, which produces the series, did not have a comment.
In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, PAs spoke about their value on set generally. “The entertainment industry on the production level is full of incredibly hardworking craftspeople and laborers. Healthcare, turnarounds and fair wages are all safeguards for workers to ensure that they are given a high quality of life. Why have production assistants been conditioned to think they don’t deserve those things as well?” the group said.
