IATSE // #IASolidarity

Meet today’s #WomensHistoryMonth member spotlight, Jessica Westra of Local 26.

A 19-year IA member, Jessica shows up for her Local and her union kin, by helping push for stronger workplace protections and more inclusive contracts.

Jessica, you make us proud!

Tell Your Representative to Support Increased Federal Arts Funding for FY27 Congress needs to hear from you as it makes decisions about next year’s funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)! Contact your Representat...

The NEA and NEH support job opportunities for entertainment professionals in every state. We urge all members to write to their representative and demand congress commit to increased funding in FY27.

Send a letter here: actionnetwork.org/letters/tell...

At the 30th Art Directors Guild (L800) Awards in Los Angeles, IATSE VP Michael Miller presented Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.) with the President’s Award for her continued work advocating for a federal incentive for film & TV production.

Meet today’s #WomensHistoryMonth member spotlight, Joanna Yu

A proud member of ADC659, Joanna leads with dedication & leadership and shows up for her fellow members, she embodies the power of solidarity & service.

Joanna, you rock!

The Actor Awards is a UNION celebration! Union actors honor union actors as @sagaftra.org members are nominees, presenters, AND voters. @afm-union.bsky.social perform the music for the show. @iatse.bsky.social crew and craftspeople and DGA directorial teams bring the show to our homes.
#actorawards

Local 119 VP Sharlene Mansfield proudly represented IATSE at the California Democratic 2026 State Convention in San Fran, where she joined leaders from across CA to talk organizing in the Age of AI & voter reg strategies. Shoutout to Local 16 for the flawless AV!

Meet today’s #BlackHistoryMonth Member Spotlight, Carmia Marshall

A proud member of @iatselocal764.bsky.social, she helped shape lasting change by co-authoring an amendment formally incorporating diversity and inclusion language into her Local’s Constitution.

Carmia, we're proud to celebrate you!

Cultural Workers at Arbeiter Ring Publishing Unanimously Ratify First Union Contract with IATSE Local 63 - IATSE Canada WINNIPEG, MB — Three workers at Arbeiter Ring Publishing (ARP Books) unanimously ratified their first collective agreement with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 6...

Workers at Arbeiter Ring Publishing in Winnipeg have unanimously ratified their first collective agreement with IATSE Local 63, becoming among the first workers in the publishing industry to join IATSE!

Black History Month Profiles: Christon Jones | AFL-CIO For Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently actively making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the pe...

Meet this week’s @aflcio.org #BlackHistoryMonth member spotlight, Christon Jones. Since joining Local 873 in 2017, he has worked with the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals outreach program and helped some of his mentees join IATSE.

Learn more about Christon here: aflcio.org/2026/2/24/bl...

Let’s be clear: Taking away programs that put food on the table is not lifting people out of poverty. It is pushing families deeper into it and pretending harm is progress. That’s nothing to brag about.

🚨 NEW UNION ALERT 🚨

Workers at the International Rescue Committee’s Charlottesville and Richmond offices in Virginia have become the 14th and 15th IRC offices to join together in union with OPEIU.

More than 700 IRC workers have organized across the United States with OPEIU local unions.

🔥🔥🔥

Join our fellow union kin for an action at Universal Studios Theme Park to take back our power and stand up to corporate greed!

RSVP here for tomorrow's rally to support our IATSE B-192 kin: actionnetwork.org/events/actio...

Black History Month Profiles: Wynn Thomas | AFL-CIO For Black History Month, we're taking a look at a group of leaders who are currently actively making Black history across the labor movement. Check back daily for a new profile and meet some of the pe...

Today’s @aflcio.org #BlackHistoryMonth member spotlight is Wynn Thomas.

He has served as VP on the Board of Governors of the Academy & in 2024, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art Directors Guild.

Wynn, thanks for your commitment and impact!

aflcio.org/2026/2/23/bl...

Belonging Over Boxes – Why We Must Rethink DEI and Reclaim Excellence | Dr. Rita Renee | TEDxRaleigh YouTube video by TEDx Talks

For Challenge 21 of the #IATSE21Day2026Challenge, watch TEDx talk “Belonging Over Boxes - Why We Must Rethink DEI and Reclaim Excellence”.

Challenging the status quo of DEI initiatives by advocating for a shift from checkbox diversity to true belonging.

Go here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gXm...

“We’re so fortunate that we get to do something we love,” says Angela Moos, IATSE Local 706.

Is joy an act of resistance? : Code Switch The phrase "joy is resistance" has been popping up all over the place lately. But what, exactly, does it mean? In this episode, we're unpacking what joy is, when it can actually be used as a tool for ...

Accept Challenge 20 of the #IATSE21Day2026Challenge, listen to podcast “Is Joy an Act of Resistance?”.

This episode discusses how ordinary experiences of happiness can be used as a tool of cultural resistance against narratives of struggle and oppression. www.npr.org/2025/07/30/1...

Join Behind the Scenes on Monday, February 23 @ 7PM Eastern for a free, 90-minute webinar on ways to address substance use impacting the workplace. Register here: wp.behindthescenescharity.org/dealing-with...

Meet today’s #BlackHistoryMonth member spotlight: Local 728 VP Malakhi Simmons. A delegate to District 2, the California IATSE Council & the Los Angeles Federation of Labor, he leads at every level, organizing, advocating, and showing up for his union kin. Malakhi, you make us proud!

How the Camera Sees Color While hundreds of race films were produced in the early 20th century, they were excluded from mainstream acclaim. Although African Americans responded in creative and resourceful ways to discriminatio...

For Challenge 19 of the #IATSE21Day2026Challenge read “How the Camera Sees Color: Exploring Colorism and Identity in Early Hollywood Films”.

Explore how skin tone discrimination has shaped opportunities for African Americans.

Learn more: nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stor...

IATSE DEI Committee Honors the Legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Champion of Justice and Solidarity

Full Statement: iatse.net/iatse-dei-co...

Full story:

IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb traveled to Washington D.C. last week to fight for American film and television jobs. Meeting with federal legislators and administration officials, President Loeb made the case for a federal production tax incentive to bring production back home.

What Is Two-Spirit? Part One: Origins | CMHR Discover the history and meaning of Two-Spirit. The term speaks to community self-determination, rejects colonial gender norms and celebrates Indigenous sexual and gender diversity.

Accept Challenge 17 of the #IATSE21Day2026Challenge and read the article “What is Two-Spirit?”. Before European arrival, gender and sexuality were not understood in binary “either/or” terms by Indigenous peoples.

Learn more: humanrights.ca/story/what-t...

“I know I have a whole family of people standing with me,” says Miranda Cristofani, IATSE Local 800.

Roses are red, Violets are blue. This Valentine’s Day, make it #UnionMade, too! Shop this list of union-made gifts and show your love for workers everywhere.

Accept Challenge 13 of the #IATSE21Day2026Challenge and watch “Masters of Dabke Dance Pt. 1 (Canada)”.

Dabke is a traditional dance, often performed at weddings, originating from Middle Eastern countries Lebanon, Syria, Palestine and Jordan.

View here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGN2...

Through Valentine’s Day, union members can save 30% on any of Teleflora’s flower and gift offerings, including premium floral bouquets, elegant gift baskets, and indulgent chocolate treats.

Explore @unionplus.bsky.social Valentine’s Day arrangements here: unionplus.teleflora.com

26 workers at Vancouver's iconic Rio Theatre have overwhelmingly ratified their first union contract with IATSE Local B778!!

The Super Bowl halftime show is Union made!

Racial Justice and Disability Justice: The Complex Journey | Nonprofit Quarterly | Civic News. Empowering Nonprofits. Advancing Justice. Disability rights built on the civil rights movement but ignored how ableism and structural racism intersect. True inclusion requires an intersectional approach, continual learning, and alliance build...

For Day 12 of the #IATSE21Day2026Challenge, read “Racial Justice and Disability Justice: The Complex Journey.”

Disability remains a ground on which to segregate people from the rest of society. For change to happen, visibility is key.

Learn more: nonprofitquarterly.org/racial-justi...