Posts tagged IATSE
IATSE Local 479 Leadership Suspended Amid Corruption Concerns
August 21, 2026 // Local 479, which represents more than 7,000 film and television technicians across Georgia and Alabama, has been temporarily placed under the stewardship of several special representatives after President Matthew Loeb “declared an emergency” at the division last month, according to a letter sent to members and obtained by Deadline. “This decision was the result of an investigation in which reliable and credible information was brought to my knowledge that the property and membership rights of the Local were subject to irreparable injury if there was no temporary intervention,” Loeb’s letter to members read.
Hollywood unions split: DGA, IATSE seek settlement while WGA fights to block Paramount-Warner merger
August 17, 2026 // Citing Hollywood’s already struggling production economy, two influential industry unions have jointly called on Paramount Skydance Chairman David Ellison and California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta to settle their antitrust fight. The Directors Guild of America and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees — which represent a combined 200,000 union members — are turning up the political pressure to resolve the clash over the Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, which has already carved deep divisions throughout the industry.
Workers at Swaybox Studios, Home to Batman Animated Movie, Vote to Unionize
July 23, 2026 // Unless valid challenges are presented, a group of 137 workers at the studio including animators, digital puppetry artists, CG modelers and other workers will soon join the union. The organizing campaign — tackling a film that IATSE claimed is budgeted at $90 million — was “one of the largest organizing drives in film and television production undertaken by IATSE in recent years,” the union said in a press release.
Broadway Cleaners Vote to Authorize Strike: “What This Fight Boils Down to Is Respect”
July 7, 2026 // The strike vote marks the first time the more than 250 cleaners, who are a part of the 32BJ of Service Employees International Union, have voted to authorize a strike in 18 years. Talks with the Broadway League, which represents their employers, the theater owners ATG, Nederlander, Shubert and Circle in the Square, are ongoing, but the Broadway cleaners say the two parties are still far apart on several issues, and the current contract has expired.
The Union You’ve Never Heard Of Is Following A Blueprint You Should Know
May 18, 2026 // In 2021, IATSE members authorized a strike by 98.7%. What followed was four years of increasingly coordinated action across entertainment unions. WGA, SAG-AFTRA, IATSE, and the Teamsters built a solidarity coalition that showed up at each other’s picket lines in 2023, during a 148-day WGA strike and a 118-day counterpart for SAG-AFTRA. During contract negotiations, this coalition has been using pattern bargaining, and “wins” by one union become the baseline for those that follow. Each contract raises the floor for the next negotiation, and whether that method is sustainable for the industry isn’t relevant here. What matters is that other unions are watching, and they love to copycat each other.
Actors’ Equity, IATSE, Other Entertainment Unions Condemn Kennedy Center Closure
February 4, 2026 // Actors’ Equity Association, American Federation of Musicians, American Guild of Musical Artists, International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society—unions whose members are routinely hired by the Kennedy Center—have released a joint statement decrying the move, calling it "harmful for the arts and creative workers in America," and saying they have been given "no formal notice or briefing." The unions also said that for any upcoming shows that will be cancelled due to this closure, "we will enforce our contracts and exercise all our rights under the law. We expect continued fair pay, enforceable worker protections, and accountability for our members in the event they cannot work due to an operational pause."
Kennedy Center unions prepare workers for the worst
February 3, 2026 // Kennedy Center Arts Workers United — consisting of Actors’ Equity, American Federation of Musicians (AFM), American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) — have issued this joint statement in response to the presidential announcement that the Center will shut from July:
Free tickets vs. 34% raise: Dodger Stadium tour guides contentious divide colors union vote
December 15, 2025 // Even if the union agreement is approved, however, the battle won’t be over because guides opposing the union have already filed a decertification petition with the National Labor Relations Board to keep IATSE from representing the tour guides. Although both sides accuse the other of underhanded tactics in swaying voters, the key issue dividing the group is fairly straightforward.
Workers at Major D.C. Concert Venues Launch Unionization Effort
October 22, 2025 // Production staff as well as employees in food services, box office and those staffing the door at D.C.’s 9:30 Club, a well-known venue that helped launched the careers of bands including Nirvana and R.E.M, as well as at The Anthem, one of the larger East Coast venues with a capacity of 6,000, The Atlantis and Lincoln Theatre, have asked management at I.M.P. to allow the process to move forward for voluntary recognition of the unionization efforts.
Artists At Netflix Animation, SpindleHorse & ‘Ted’ Move To Unionize With The Animation Guild/IATSE
September 25, 2025 // Variety reports Production Workers employed at Netflix Animation, Animation Artists at SpindleHorse and Production Workers at Ted have made the move to Unionize with Animation Guild/International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 839. These campaigns underscore the significant momentum for Labor Organizing across the Animation Industry, from streaming features to prime-time productions to independent studios. A group of 60 Production Workers at Netflix Animation Studios (Feature Productions) has submitted a request for Union Recognition to the studio.