The Directors Guild of America has issued a vote of confidence in chief negotiator Russell Hollander ahead of the union’s upcoming negotiations with studios and streamers.

Union president Christopher Nolan announced on Monday that the DGA had renewed its national executive director and chief negotiator’s contract through 2029. If the union agrees to a typical three-year labor deal with the Alliance of Motion Pictures and Television Producers this year, the renewed contract ensures that Hollander will be at the helm of the more than 19,500-member organization for the entirety of the deal’s term.

“For nearly a decade as our National Executive Director, Russ has been a steward for the Guild and its members, seeing us through a period of tremendous upheaval in our industry,” Nolan said in a statement. “From the pandemic to the strikes and the global contraction in production, Russ has always prioritized and protected the interests of our members, working closely with me, past guild presidents, and our national board. We are grateful for his continued service to our community.” 

Hollander has served as the powerful union’s top-ranking staff member since 2017, though he has been at the labor organization for far longer. Hollander first joined the DGA in 2001 as an assistant executive director and was promoted the following year to Eastern executive director. In 2011, he was promoted again to serve as associate national executive director/Eastern executive director.

Since assuming the top post in 2017, Hollander has headed up negotiations for the union’s contracts with the AMPTP in 2020 and 2023. He also led talks on behalf of major Hollywood unions for the industry’s return-to-work agreement during the COVID-19 pandemic. In his role, he additionally serves as chair and a trustee for the union’s health and pension plans.

“I’m honored by the Board’s continued confidence in my service to the membership, especially during times of incredible change,” Hollander said in a statement. “The beauty of our Guild is our defining, singular mission to advance the creative and economic rights of our members – and the secret to our longstanding success is the strong partnership between our elected leaders and our professional staff to fulfill that purpose. At a time when the rights of workers need strong champions, it is a privilege to dedicate myself to that purpose and to the members we serve.”

A graduate of both Cornell University and Harvard Law School, Hollander served as a partner at the labor law firm Cohen, Weiss, and Simon LLP prior to joining the DGA.

The DGA, which bargains on behalf not only of its namesake position but also assistant directors, associate directors, stage managers and unit production managers, will begin negotiations with the AMPTP on May 11 ahead of its contract expiration on June 30.