Production assistants working on the NBC television series Chicago Fire and Chicago Med have successfully voted to unionize under LIUNA Local 724, marking a significant step in an expanding effort to bring union representation to entry-level television production roles. The ratification votes demonstrated decisive worker support, with Chicago Fire approving the agreement 24-3 and Chicago Med voting 14-1 in favor, collectively representing 61 workers across both Universal Television productions.

The three-year contract provides workers with improved compensation and benefits, including annual wage increases of 25 cents per hour beginning from the prior $19.93 hourly rate, access to industry pension and health insurance plans, paid time off, and standard labor protections including meal penalties and sick leave. The unionization effort emerged from the Production Assistants United initiative, which formed during the 2023 entertainment strikes and has since pursued show-by-show organizing. LIUNA continues working to establish union representation on additional productions, with the goal of eventually negotiating an industry-wide agreement rather than negotiating individually with each employer.