Production on the crime drama The Gun on Second Street ground to a halt this week after a significant portion of the film’s crew walked off the set, citing longstanding disagreements over working conditions and labor rights. 

Crew members, many of whom are experienced technicians, left the West Virginia shoot after expressing frustration that producers would not enter negotiations on a union contract with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). 

According to the union, the walk-out began Thursday as workers sought industry-standard wages, health benefits and proper employment classification, which are concerns they said have been ignored by the production, according to Deadline.

The production, which is currently filming in the Wheeling area, lists California Congressman Eric Swalwell and actor-producer Sean Penn as executive producers. The movie, directed by Rohit Karn Batra, is described as a character-driven drama exploring themes of violence and personal redemption, according to TheWrap.

Union leadership alleges that crew members were incorrectly classified as independent contractors rather than employees, denying them access to standard protections like employer-provided health coverage and retirement plans. IATSE said its members voted to pursue formal representation and were met with a refusal from producers to recognize or engage with their organizing efforts, Deadline reported.

Swalwell issued a statement saying his role as an executive producer did not include handling day-to-day business or labor decisions, and reaffirming his support for labor standards. He urged the production team to reach a fair agreement and warned he would remove his name from the film’s credits if the dispute is not addressed. 

“I am a lifelong supporter of labor,” he said. “While I am prohibited by Congressional ethics rules from participating in the negotiations between production and labor, I joined the film expecting labor standards would be adhered to. I urge the production team to seek a fair outcome for the crew. Should that not be achieved, I will remove my name from the film’s screen credits.”

Penn’s production company, Projected Picture Works, also distanced itself from the conflict, clarifying that it had not been involved in the project’s financial or contractual decisions and that it supports fair labor practices. The company has reportedly removed its name from the film, TheWrap also reported.

“We are supporters of fair labor practices and organized labor, and we agreed to lend our names to this project with the expectation that all standards would be respected and followed,” the company said. “It’s our hope that the production team responsible for the film will resolve this matter quickly, fairly, and responsibly with its crew and union leadership.”

Producers for The Gun on Second Street issued a brief statement disputing the union’s characterization of conditions on set and saying they have properly compensated workers. They said discussions over labor issues would take place privately.