Posts tagged IATSE
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.
Casa Bonita Workers Will Still Face Nasty Gases, Drunk Patrons, But Now As a Part of a Union
July 21, 2025 // The more recent efforts for this small arcade team to unionize started up again in May, when all eight team members signed authorization cards, citing lack of job security, unfair pay and inconsistent shifts. We’ll have to wait and see what the future of Casa Bonita’s larger union holds, but it appears employees may still have to deal with concerning odors, hordes of camera-wielding influencers and rowdy South Park fans.
Arcade Workers at ‘South Park’ Creators’ Casa Bonita Restaurant Unionize
July 11, 2025 // The South Park creators have also been in the news for threatening legal action and accusing Paramount president Jeff Shell of meddling in contract negotiations with Warner Bros. Discovery and Netflix.
Disney, Marvel & ‘Avatar’ Franchise VFX Workers Ratify First IATSE Contracts
May 22, 2025 // The VFX crews at Marvel and Disney filed for a unionization election with the National Labor Relations Board in August 2023. A supermajority of Marvel's more than 50-worker crew signed authorization cards saying they want to be represented by the IATSE, while a supermajority of the 18 in-house VFX crewmembers at Walt Disney Pictures signed cards.