Production assistants on “Chicago Fire” and “Chicago Med” voted to ratify their first union contract, as part of a broader unionization drive for PAs.

The agreement covers 26 employees of “Chicago Med” and 35 of “Chicago Fire,” both produced by Universal Television. The workers will be represented by LIUNA Local 724, which previously hosted PAs at “Abbott Elementary,” “The Pitt” and a couple other programs.

The contract includes access to the film industry’s health and pension plans, which offer significantly lower premiums than the employer-provided health coverage that PAs previously had.

Personal assistants in the programs earned a minimum of $19.93 an hour. That will increase 25 cents an hour for each of the three years of the contract. The agreement also includes standard union benefits such as paid vacation, meal penalties and sick leave.

Production assistants have traditionally been non-union and the job was seen as a foot in the door that could lead to more stable employment. But during the 2023 writers and actors strikes, a group of PAs formed Production Assistants United, which allied with LIUNA to seek union protection.

Since then, the organization has progressed show after show, and PA signed authorization cards to allow LIUNA to negotiate on their behalf. LIUNA is still working on a deal with “The Four Seasons,” another New York-based Universal show.

“I want to thank the company for being a collaborative partner throughout this process and for recognizing the importance of quality healthcare, fair wages and strong workplace protections for our new LIUNA members,” Alex Aguilar, Local 724 business manager, said in a statement. “These agreements are a testament to what can be achieved when labor and management work together in good faith.”

The contract includes a “career subcommittee” to discuss career advancement paths for personal assistants. LIUNA hopes to eventually win a multi-employer agreement that covers personal assistants industry-wide, rather than signing up workers for one event at a time.

In “Chicago Fire,” the vote was 24-3 in favor of ratification. At “Chicago Med,” it was 14-1.