IATSE Convention Re-Elects Leadership, Passes Progressive Agenda

Delegates of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) 70th Quadrennial Convention re-elected by acclamation international president Matthew D. Loeb, general secretary-treasurer James B. Wood, 13 international vice presidents, three trustees, and a delegate to the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) on July 31.

Major topics addressed during the convention included strong US-Canada relations; passing worker-friendly policies at the state, national, and international levels; celebrating a renewed commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as support for members who may face immigration detention during the ongoing military-style raids.

Convention resolutions passed included (but are not limited to): advocacy for a federal film and television incentive (passed unanimously); support for Canadian members during the US-Canada trade conflict; advocacy for protections and training to mitigate the effects of artificial intelligence and machine learning deployment on entertainment workers; opposition to discrimination and support for increasing protection for the diverse workers in the entertainment industry; advocacy for pro-union federal legislation, including the PRO Act; and a pledge of support for unionization of the production accountant craft in the motion picture and television production industry.

Constitutional updates were made to reflect modern, inclusive language and governance/ Also, a new membership designation for Visual Effects (VFX) workers, who have recently won first contracts at Marvel, Disney, and Avatar, and were represented at an IATSE Convention for the first time.

The IATSE convention opened with an acknowledgement by international trustee Tuiaana Scanlan of Hawaii as an indigenous space whose descendants remain tied to the land, sea, and sky. With 982 elected delegates, the governance body saw the highest participation in the union's history.

Since Loeb's first election in 2008, the union has grown its membership, strengthened workplace protections, and advanced the interests of entertainment workers across North America. "I am honored and humbled to continue the work we do together," he said following his reelection. "Let's seize this momentum, lock arms, and get ready for the fights of the future."

Additionally, delegates were addressed by an influential slate of guest speakers which included Josh Green, M.D., Hawaii's governor; Congresswoman Jill Tokuda (D-Hawaii), Liz Shuler, president of the AFL-CIO; Sean O'Brien, general president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters; Tino Gagliardi, president of American Federation of Musicians; and Johannes Studinger, head of UNI Media & Entertainment.