As IATSE members, we understand that solidarity is more than a word, it is standing together on every call, in every venue, and through every challenge. Juneteenth reminds us that progress is made when working people lift each other up and ensure every member has the opportunity to succeed, be heard, and be treated with dignity and respect.

This Juneteenth, we honor the struggles of those who came before us, celebrate how far we have come, and recommit ourselves to building a stronger, more united IATSE for future generations.

Par solidarité,

Comité de la diversité, de l'équité et de l'inclusion de l'IATSE

For more information about Juneteenth, please visit:

The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History

https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/moments/juneteenth

Why Juneteenth Is Important For America

https://iatse.co/Juneteenth

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The agreement reflects the commitment of the membership and their representatives to securing fair wages, improved working conditions, and greater stability for theatre workers at Canada’s oldest and largest theatres for young audiences.

“We are proud of the dedication and solidarity shown by the members throughout certification, bargaining, and ratification. We thank all nine certifying members for their leadership and commitment, and especially recognize Maeve Byrnes and Christopher Jakobs for their contributions throughout this process and their active involvement as young workers in the local,” said Michelle DiCesare, Business Agent for IATSE Local 822.

The agreement, which was ratified June 9th, demonstrates the strength of collective bargaining and the important role theatre professionals play in delivering exceptional productions and educational programming across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

For workers interested in joining this growing movement, head to canada.iatse.net/how-to-join.

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The FLCA mirrors a key provision of the Loi sur la protection du droit syndical (PRO) to speed up first contracts for new unions. The bill would amend the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) to require that employers must begin bargaining within 10 days of a successful union election. Under the proposed FLCA, if parties fail to reach an agreement within 90 days, the dispute proceeds to mediation and, if necessary, binding arbitration to secure an initial contract. Under current law, there is no deadline for reaching a first contract, allowing employers to drag out negotiations and deny workers the wages, benefits, and protections they voted to secure.

“This successful vote on the Faster Labor Contracts Act shows that even in a Washington where corporate interests wield inordinate sway, workers and our allies in Congress can still organize and win,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb. “Too often, employers stall first contract negotiations to wear workers down and deprive them of their rights. While this legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate, it represents an important step toward securing the necessary reforms contained within the PRO Act. IATSE is grateful to Reps. Norcross, Stauber, and every member of Congress who stood with workers on this issue.”    

Timely first contracts are particularly important for entertainment workers, whose livelihoods often depend on moving from job to job. Securing a first contract quickly can be critical before a motion picture production wraps or a theater season ends. Delays in bargaining can mean missing out on the industry standards and protections we fight for. IATSE will keep fighting for the FLCA and the full slate of PRO Act reforms to restore balance and power to America’s workers.

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The court found that the closure plan failed to meet basic obligations and relied on incomplete information. That plan was used to justify layoffs and disruptions affecting IATSE members and other union workers.

“This ruling confirms that you cannot dismantle a workforce through a flawed process,” said International President Matthew D. Loeb. “Workers deserve lawful decision-making, transparency, and a real voice in choices that affect their livelihoods and this institution’s future.”

The decision does not end the labor disputes at the Kennedy Center, as the Kennedy Center has told its employees that the Center is considering all of its options. The Kennedy Center has not returned the laid-off employees to their jobs, despite calls by the Union to do so in light of the court’s ruling. Moreover, unfair labor practice charges remain pending, contract negotiations are still unresolved, and workers continue to demand legally required negotiations  over any changes that affect jobs, schedules, or working conditions. More demonstrations and legal actions are expected in the coming days and weeks.

“The fight to protect good union jobs at the Kennedy Center is far from over,” Loeb said. “Our members are ready to do their jobs. We expect management to do theirs by bargaining in good faith, respecting workers’ rights, and honoring the public mission of the center.”

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The IATSE has long maintained a flexible approach to the On-Line Streaming Act and the need for the CRTC to weigh and consider the increasingly complicated forces, both domestic and global, which are impacting the industry. 

A strong industry which supports Canadian Creative voices recognizes the need for a strong domestic sector as well as a vibrant foreign service sector.  The two are not mutually exclusive. There was a time not too long ago when the industry recognised this reality and spoke with one unified voice.  Stability has been a cornerstone for the growth of our industry.  This period of relative uncertainty needs to conclude to ensure both foreign and domestic producers have the confidence to invest in the industry and in good-paying Canadian jobs.    

The IATSE will once again be a strong advocate for its members and for the entire industry as the CRTC takes these matters under consideration.  The IATSE will continue to speak to sustainable funding requirements which take into account current levels of investments to support the domestic industry and Canadian Creative talent.

The post IATSE Says Long-Term Stability Is Key as Ottawa Pledges Major Investment in Audio-Visual Industry appeared first on IATSE.

The newly formed bargaining unit covers workers across four classifications: Technician I, Technician II, Event Coordinators, and Customer Service Representatives. These workers are responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining the high-speed internet infrastructure, Wi-Fi networks, and event technology systems that serve the thousands of planners, exhibitors, and attendees who pass through the San Diego Convention Center each year for events including San Diego Comic-Con, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, and the ESRI User Conference, among many others.

Smart City Networks is a national company operating in 25 convention centers across the United States, delivering high-speed internet, Wi-Fi, and cutting-edge event technology to trade shows and exhibitions nationwide. Their workers are the backbone of that operation, ensuring seamless connectivity and expert support for Planners, Exhibitors, and Attendees at every event.

Workers initially reached out to Local 122 in early March and over the following weeks, organizers held group meetings and one-on-one conversations with workers, filing authorization cards. In the lead-up to the vote, Smart City Networks retained the union-avoidance law firm Littler Mendelson, spending an estimated $58,000 on anti-union consultant in an effort to discourage organizing. Ultimately, workers held firm, rejected the employer’s campaign, and delivered an overwhelming mandate for representation

“At the end of the day, everyone deserves to have a union,” said Greg Sowizdrzal, President of IATSE Local 122. “We’re proud that the workers at Smart City took their first step in having a voice on the job and having representation.”

In a statement, the Smart City crewmembers expressed what this victory means to them: “To us, having a union means having a voice. It means being united and being able to stand on equal footing with the company. It has shown us the importance of solidarity, and we look forward to taking an active role in the decisions that will impact our future.”

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Parmi les demandes, le refus de contribuer au régime d’assurances collectives et au régime de retraite représente une baisse considérable et inacceptable des conditions de travail des techniciens et techniciennes, qui sont déjà des travailleurs aux conditions de travail précaires. Il importe de noter qu’il s’agit d’emplois de pigistes dans un secteur où les emplois sont de plus en plus rares et que leurs salaires n’augmentent pas depuis plusieurs années. La lettre reçue se termine en confirmant qu’advenant un refus de la demande, la production n’ira pas de l’avant avec la conséquence que nos membres ne travailleront pas.

« Dans un contexte où la production audiovisuelle traverse une crise majeure dans son ensemble, ces demandes sont irrecevables et fragilisent nos membres. Nous sommes solidaires des diffuseurs, des producteurs et de toutes les parties prenantes de notre industrie, mais nos techniciens et techniciennes n’ont pas à faire les frais d’un modèle qui est à revoir », affirme Bernard Larivière, président de l’AQTIS 514 IATSE.

L’Alliance québécoise des techniciennes et techniciens de l’image et du son (AQTIS), section locale 514 IATSE, représente 8 000 professionnels pigistes œuvrant dans plus de 200 métiers liés à la conception, la planification, la mise en place, la réalisation et la postproduction d’une production audiovisuelle. Son rôle est d’agir pour l’épanouissement professionnel des techniciennes et techniciens et la croissance de l’industrie québécoise, ici et à l’étranger. L’AQTIS 514 IATSE propulse la passion et le talent de ses membres et contribue ainsi au rayonnement de l’industrie audiovisuelle.

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The last season of the competition-style reality series was made under IATSE agreements, but producers started production of the third season non-union. As a result, IATSE members and Locals across the United States made a collective push to organize this large-scale production, which was co-created and is hosted by YouTube personality MrBeast.

“Organizing season three of Beast Games boiled down to IATSE solidarity in this difficult production environment,” said Michael F. Miller, Jr., Department Director of Motion Picture & Television Production Department. “As employment in our industry continues to face challenges from predatory employers looking to take advantage of the industry contraction, our members and their Local leaders are showing that they have the strength to stand together to maintain standards in the face of repeated attacks on their livelihoods by greedy employers.”

This development is the latest in a growing string of organizing efforts in entertainment sectors that have traditionally lacked union representation, including social media and YouTube channels, video games, visual effects, and other digital and interactive media. Workers in these fields face many of the same challenges as “traditional” film and television production crews, including long hours, unstable employment, and limited benefits.

By bringing collective bargaining to these spaces, IATSE is helping set standards for fair pay, safety, and respect as the industry continues shifting and adopting new distribution models. Entertainment workers interested in unionizing their workplace can visit iatse.net/join pour contacter un organisateur.

The post IATSE Announces Contract With Beast Games Season 3 appeared first on IATSE.

The Supreme Court’s ruling, in which Justice Elena Kagen wrote in her dissent “threatens a half-century’s worth of gains in voting equality,” weakens Section 2 by narrowing how protections related to district mapping and voting systems may be applied and enforced by the courts moving forward. This decision follows years of legal and legislative battles that have attempted to weaken voting rights and political strength of communities at the federal and state level.

For IATSE members, the implications are real. The conditions under which members work are shaped by elected leadership at every level. Entertainment industry workers are deeply impacted by public policy decisions that affect worker protections like workplace safety standards, collective bargaining rights, unemployment systems, workforce development, infrastructure, and arts funding that sustains jobs across IATSE crafts. Policies that affect members’ jobs and families are directly shaped by the people elected to represent their communities.

IATSE members live and work across the country in major entertainment and live event growth regions where issues related to voter access and representation are highly consequential. IATSE membership is multiracial, multi-generational, geographically diverse, and frequently mobile across regions. These factors have historically created barriers to voting access and equal political representation. Protecting the VRA, including Section 2, is a civil rights issue and directly aligned with IATSE’s DEI commitments to equity, inclusion, and fair representation for marginalized communities.

Worker power and political representation have always been interconnected. History has shown that attacks on political representation have often gone hand-in-hand with anti-union policies including wage suppression, weakened labor protections and exclusion from economic opportunity.

The decision by the Supreme Court raises serious concerns when it comes to political representation. Over time, changes in political representation can drastically shape the laws, labor standards, and economic opportunities that affect working people. Ultimately, it matters who has a seat at the table and how they are elected.

Protecting worker rights and the representation of working people requires continued solidarity, participation, and engagement across our industry and communities. IATSE encourages members to stay informed on voting access, registration requirements, and legislative developments that may affect working people and their families. IATSE’s strength has always depended on an informed and engaged membership standing together in solidarity to protect the rights, safety, and working conditions of all people across our industries and communities.

The post IATSE Warns: Weakening the Voting Rights Act Harms Working People and Our Communities appeared first on IATSE.

San Diego Musical Theatre is a community theatre that presents musical productions in an intimate 172-seat venue. The theatre also operates the SDMT Academy, which brings in young people from the community to learn about theatre arts.

Workers began meeting with IATSE Local 122 representatives in December 2025 after reaching out to the union seeking representation. Over the following months, workers built solidarity and support for unionization despite facing resistance from management.

The company conducted an anti-union campaign that included attempts to hold a captive audience meeting, which had to be cancelled when no workers confirmed attendance, along with personal appeals from management to reject the union. Despite these attempts to bust the workers’ union, the group remained united in their commitment to securing representation.

“Building the theatre community has always been a priority for our Local,” said Robert Morales, Business Representative for IATSE Local 122. “By organizing SDMT, we continue to build union density which in return helps us negotiate better contracts for everyone and uplift the industry.”

Patricia Lutz, SDMT Wardrobe Supervisor, spoke on the importance of collective representation: “Having union representation means I have a voice, that I am not alone when it comes to holding the company accountable for safety and working conditions. I am looking forward to working with the company to make much needed improvements and to have better job security.”

The newly organized crew will now negotiate their first collective bargaining agreement with San Diego Musical Theatre, joining IATSE’s growing movement of organized production workers at community and regional theatres throughout North America. Entertainment workers interested in unionizing their workplace can visit iatse.net/join pour contacter un organisateur.

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