IATSE 101: How the Union Works

DISCLAIMER: This post is not to be interpreted as legal advice. Please note that the content of this post relates to I.A.T.S.E. Local 849 and may be specific to the contract and/or jurisdiction of the local. This content may not be the same for every jurisdiction or every union or local - please check with your local union for information about local procedures.

April 2025

I often forget at general membership meetings and when I speak with new members that not everyone knows how our IATSE works or what IATSE even stands for (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada). Many members, new or otherwise, don’t know how it’s structured, how the governance and hierarchy work, who’s who and what they do. We often use acronyms or terminology or reference people or events that many members may not understand. Here is a basic explanation.

IATSE by the numbers:

1893: IATSE is founded in New York.
1898: The first Canadian Locals are chartered in Montreal and Toronto.
1990: Local 849 is chartered.
170,000+: IATSE-represented behind-the-scenes workers in the entertainment industry in the US and Canada.
34,000+: Canadian IATSE members.
366: Locals in the US & Canada - 326 in the US and 40 in Canada (think of a Local as a branch office).
13: Districts IATSE territory is divided into. Loosely based on geography and population. Canada is divided into District 11 (Eastern Canada) and District 12 (Western Canada).
4: International Offices. The main centre of operations (Head Office) is in New York City. There is also a US West Coast Office (Los Angeles), a Canadian Office (Toronto), and a Canadian West Coast Office (Vancouver).

International Leadership & Governance:

IATSE’s upper leadership is called the General Executive Board (or GEB) and consists of an International President, General Secretary-Treasurer, and (currently) 13 International Vice Presidents, two of whom must be Canadian (one from District 11 and one from District 12). Three International Trustees and several Department Directors also hold leadership roles. You can see all these folks by heading here.

The International President and General Secretary-Treasurer run for (re)election every four years at the IATSE International Quadrennial Convention (the “Quad”). One of the thirteen current International Vice Presidents, John Lewis, acts as Director of Canadian Affairs. There are several International Representatives who act as liaisons for the Local Unions. There are currently 42 International Reps, 10 of whom work for the Canadian Department. Click here to see the Canadian Department. The International Rep I interact with most is Monty Montgomerie, the former Business Agent for Local 873 (Toronto).

Fun Fact: Int. President Matt Loeb started as a Scenic Artist in Local USA829 in NYC. Secretary-Treasurer James Wood started as a Grip in Local 873 (Toronto). Director of Canadian Affairs John Lewis grew up in Saint John, New Brunswick and did his undergrad degree at St. FX University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia

Though the General Executive Board meets monthly, twice a year they have a larger meeting (we refer to this as the GEB), which is open for attendance by Local Union representatives. Local 849's President (Jenny Reeves) and Business Agent (that’s me!) attend these meetings whenever possible. These GEB meetings offer opportunities to hear about the general state of the union, industry trends, politics and their potential effects on the entertainment sector, etc. They also allow us to engage with our counterparts across Canada and the US. The GEB meetings and the previously mentioned Quad are held at a different location around North America each time, offering a chance for different Locals to host.

You may also hear reference to the IATSE Canadian Convention. This annual event offers an opportunity for Canadian IATSE Local representatives to network and collaborate about Canadian-Specific subjects. Similar to the GEB and Quadrennial meetings, this meeting also moves around, but typically within Canada.

Fun Fact: Local 849 played a big part in hosting a GEB in Halifax in 2015, coincidentally the year the Nova Scotia government cancelled the Film Tax Credit!

Local 849 Leadership & Governance:

The Local 849 Executive Board includes a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and three Members-at-Large. We also have two elected Financial Trustees. All of these positions are up for election every three years. The Executive Board and Trustees are working members of Local 849.

The Local 849 Executive Board oversees the general management of our Union Local. The Executive Board meets monthly to manage the business of Local 849. Here, the Board receives and discusses updates from 849 office staff, reviews the Local’s finances, makes spending decisions, reviews membership applications if needed, considers variance requests and many more things too numerous to mention!

The Local 849 Board also considers long-term and strategic planning to set the direction for the future of the Local. Members of the Executive Board also attend various Local 849 committee and department meetings and are often active in outside organizations and events that are union or film industry adjacent.

The Local 849 Trustees are Financial Trustees. They are responsible for ensuring that all Union resources are used for legitimate Union business as authorized by the membership and the Executive Board. They review credit card statements, staff and executive officer expense reports, payroll documents and bank statements.

At Local 849, we also have elected Department Representatives for each department Local 849 represents. A Department Rep’s role is to hold at least one Department meeting annually to gather feedback about issues, ideas for training, etc. and pass that on to the Business Agent and Executive Board.

Every IATSE Local's executive, leadership, and staff are structured differently and may have an alternate structure to Local 849.

Constitution and Bylaws:

All IA Local Unions are bound by the International Constitution and Bylaws, currently in its 69th edition. This is like a 114-page guidebook that sets the rules for things like the International’s management structure, how elections and meetings are held and how often, the powers and duties of Locals and expectations of you as a member. There’s way more to it than that, but it’s a high-level do's and don’ts for Locals and members.

Local 849 has to follow rules as set out by the International Constitution and Bylaws. Most of them are very high-level, which means we do have some freedom to specify, adjust, and customize elements of how Local 849 operates. Our Standard Agreement and Membership Requirements, for example, are not dictated by the IATSE International Office. The way IATSE Local 849 manages itself may be quite different from the way other IATSE Locals are run. Each Local Union also has its own Constitution and Bylaws.

Our Local Constitution and Bylaws describe membership requirements, membership dues, direction on meeting frequency, the Standard Agreement and trial procedures, etc. Also laid out are the criteria to run for the Local 849 Executive Board, member privileges and responsibilities and discipline procedures. It’s a good read! (Hint: access is available when you log into your 849 member profile through the Document Library).

Beside the C&B, Local 849 has a Policy Book, which is (currently) 75 pages of directions on various topics: policies and procedures on everything from Work Permits and Fines to Nominations and the Trainee Program. The Policy Book can also be accessed through the Document Library in the member portal.

If you have made it this far, congratulations! Now, you have a basic understanding of how your union works.

Sincerely,
Shelley Bibby
Business Agent, I.A.T.S.E. Local 849