Teamsters Local 399 ends labor dispute with Quixote Studios

Teamsters Local 399 and Quixote Studios have ended their high-profile labor dispute.

The sides said Friday night they had reached an agreement to end a standoff over organizing workers at Quixote, which rents trailers and trucks to the movie industry.

Under the deal, Teamsters Local 399 will represent about 30 Quixote drivers and dispatchers.

In addition, per the rules of the National Labor Relations Act, there will be a secret ballot election in the near future in which Quixote warehouse workers can decide whether they want to be represented by Local 399.

“We have ended our boycott,� said Teamsters Local 399 Secretary-Treasurer Steve Dayan.

In a statement, Quixote said: “Both sides were determined to reach an accord without further delay in order to send a message to studios, production companies and advertisers that it’s business as usual for production in Los Angeles and throughout California. Unfortunately, it is the workers in our industry that have been caught in the middle of all this. The leadership of both Quixote and Local 399 took this to heart and displayed remarkable restraint and a willingness to compromise for the greater good of all stakeholders.�

The dispute, highlighted in The Times last week, centered around efforts by Teamsters to organize about 200 workers at Quixote, which significantly expanded its fleet this year when it acquired Sun Valley-based Movie Movers.

Quixote, based in L.A., countered that the union’s desire to represent mechanics, technicians, cleaners and other workers at Quixote would add more than $1 million in labor expenses, making it harder to expand locally. Quixote also has facilities in Louisiana and New York.