Pre-Production
The Producer's Guide to the IATSE Film Union
What is the IATSE Film Union?
Just as actors are represented by SAG-AFTRA, writers by the WGA and directors by the DGA, the film crew's rights, interests, wages, health and retirement are protected by the IATSE film union.
The IATSE film union represents a wide range of entertainment industry professionals including makeup artists and hair stylists, motion picture and television production technicians, broadcast technicians, scenic artists, designers, animators, audio visual technicians, and a host of others. These workers are organized into local unions by craft and geography. There are many local unions that cater to different departments, but all these IATSE locals work under the same basic agreement for minimums.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada (IATSE) was founded in 1893 when representatives of stagehands working in eleven cities met in New York and pledged to support each other's efforts to establish fair wages and working conditions for their members.
Today, IATSE members work in all forms of live theater, motion picture and television production, trade shows and exhibitions, television broadcasting, and concerts, as well as the equipment and construction shops that support all these areas of the entertainment industry.
There are more than 150,000 workers in virtually all arts, media, and entertainment crafts under the leadership of the current International President, Matthew E. Loeb and General Secretary Treasurer, James B. Wood.
If you are producing a professional film or TV show, chances are you will need to hire IATSE union members for your film crew.
What You Need to Know About IATSE
Within the United States and Canada, there are currently 366 Local Unions whose members make up the rank and file of the IATSE. These Local Unions are organized by geographic region and craft jurisdictions, which can be found at the Local Union Directory.
Each local is an autonomous, independent 501(c)(5) nonprofit entity. Each determines their own constitution and bylaws, officer elections, dues structure, membership meetings, and more through democratic processes.
Locals negotiate labor contracts regarding wages, work rules, and grievance procedures. Some also provide services to their members by administering health and retirement funds, and providing training and education.
How do Members Join the Union?
There are two ways to join IATSE. If a skill set falls under an already existing category, the person would contact that local union for an application. For example, if you are a prop maker, you would contact Local 44. Check out our guide on how to join local 44. If currently, there is not a local union for what you do, then IATSE can help you create one.
Further, in 13 Western states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington and Wyoming), it is a requirement to be placed on the Industry Experience Roster (also called the “IER” or the “Roster”) to work or be hired for an IATSE contract project. The Roster is a list of union members who have logged a certain amount of work experience within a specific job. Once individuals are placed on the Roster, they are able to work on IATSE contract projects and are eligible to join their local union. The Roster is managed by Contract Services Administration Trust Fund (CSATF).
Hiring an IATSE Union Member
With so many local unions, we’ve provided this handy breakdown to quickly access the most relevant local unions, whom they represent and the region served. For an entire list, click here.
Table Is Here
Key IATSE Helpful Resources
There are 366 local unions across 14 districts. Utilizing the local directory will get you in contact with the appropriate union for your hiring needs.
The Producer - IATSE AND MPTAAC (Motion Picture Technicians Artists and Allied Crafts) Basic Agreement was ratified in 2018 and has provisions through 2021.
Assemble has a breakdown of all the film crew minimums found in the IATSE basic agreement, as well as SAG-AFTRA day rates and minimums.
A handy guide for department hiring needs: film crew hierarchy chart.
For the most up-to-date news on IATSE initiatives.
Recommended Reading
