The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is urging the US Department of Justice to block the merger between Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery, citing concerns over job losses and consolidated power.
The union submitted a report to the DOJ’s Antitrust Division detailing these concerns, with Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien stating that the merger threatens the livelihoods of workers. “We’ve seen what happens when corporations consolidate power: jobs disappear, production leaves American communities and workers pay the price,” O’Brien said. The union cited Disney’s 2019 acquisition of 20th Century Fox as a precedent that resulted in eliminated production units and significant job losses.
The Motion Picture Teamsters division, which handles transportation of equipment and crew, stands to be most impacted by the merger. The union expects the DOJ to intervene unless Paramount and Warner Bros. provide enforceable commitments to maintain domestic production and labor standards. Without guarantees against layoffs and the erosion of union jobs, the Teamsters have urged the DOJ to block the deal.
If the merger is approved, Paramount Skydance has committed to producing 30 theatrical films annually, evenly split between the two studios’ slates. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison is the son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, who has close ties to President Donald Trump. The administration has provided favorable treatment to the company, raising concerns that the merger could pass regulatory review despite the Teamsters’ objections.
