Hollywood Workers Are On The Verge Of A Massive Strike Over 14-Hour Days

The behind-the-scenes workers on film and TV sets say they barely have time to sleep: "We want a quality of life that's worth living."

Many nights, Cheli Clayton Samaras has to pull off to the side of the road because she’s so tired she fears she might crash. She works in Hollywood as a “first assistant camera” ― she makes sure each shot is in focus ― and her days filming stretch as long as 14 hours with few, if any, breaks. 

Public carpool lots have become Clayton Samaras’ preferred place to lock the doors, ease her seat back and catch a nap before continuing to her house in Highland Park. Then she turns around and does it again the next day. After 27 years in the business, she sometimes feels like her mental health is slipping.

“There’s so much work, but they’re squeezing it into so few hours,” said Clayton Samaras, who spoke with HuffPost on a Bluetooth set during her 7 a.m. commute on Thursday ― the only time she knew she’d be available to talk that day. “It’s a recipe for disaster.”