Crew Walks Off Set Of Anti-Gun Film Backed By Sean Penn And Eric Swalwell

Workers on the set of “The Gun on Second Street,” a film that had Sean Penn and California Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell listed as executive producers, walked off in protest while attempting to negotiate a union contract.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) claimed that a “majority” of the crew, about 40 people, left the set in West Virginia, per The Hollywood Reporter. IATSE reported that the striking crew members were seeking set wages, health benefits, and pensions, but had, up to that point, “been misclassified as 1099 independent contractors rather than employees.”

“Every production, regardless of budget or political connections, must respect the rights of the people who make film and television possible,” IATSE international president Matthew Loeb said. “The Alliance is prepared to support this crew as they take collective action to secure safe working conditions, fair compensation, proper classification and a voice on the job.”

The move apparently prompted Penn’s Projected Picture Works and its partners to remove their names from the film.

The film’s producers released a statement disputing these allegations. “We have compensated our production crew well for their time,” the producers said. “However, we will not attempt to resolve our differences with the union through the press. Therefore, we have no further comment.”

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Swalwell added in a statement that he had no involvement in the business decisions, THR noted, and threatened to remove his name from the project. 

“I am a lifelong supporter of labor,” the congressman added. “While I am prohibited by Congressional ethics rules from participating in the negotiations between production and labor, I joined the film expecting labor standards would be adhered to. I urge the production team to seek a fair outcome for the crew. Should that not be achieved, I will remove my name from the film’s screen credits.”

“The Gun on Second Street” is being pitched as “an allegory of the gun crisis in the United States.” The film, written and directed by Rohit Karn Batra (“Line of Descent”), follows two police officers in Pittsburgh. Drama ensues when one of them accidentally kills the other while responding to a domestic violence call. He leaves the force, only to fall in love with his deceased partner’s widow years later.