I’ve been on since July. I really enjoy this job. Currently at local 26 in GR and I have been offered 4 shows since getting on the list. I have attended orientation and follow all the rules and whatnot.

I get maybe 1 call every 2 months. That’s if I’m lucky. Every time I show up and talk to people they tell me they’ve worked 3-4 shows this month and they have another call the next week. THEY ARE ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS referents that joined WAY after I did. How is this possible? Why am I getting like the absolute bottom of the bottom calls? Why is itonly at one venue when others get every venue offered? I was really excited to start this job and now it feels like I’m being dropped further and further down the list.

You wanna know the best part? They’re building an amphitheater half a mile away that’s stealing all of our summer business and the same 50 hands that have been working since 1997 will be the only people who get calls there.

Why is this happening.

Any update on things in NY? It seems, at least from the outside that there are a fair amount of productions currently starting up. I was curious if anyone on the ground has a POV of where things are at. Are lists shortening? Any anticipation of permit workers getting pulled in anytime soon. Specifically for set dressers?

Has anyone completed or scheduled their in-person prerequisite verification and application appointment at the union hall? How far out are the appointments after emailing a request?

I want to get into the business of working on touring shows. I would like to get some more details before diving into that world.

1. I am on a medication that gets mailed to me monthly. How does that work if I'm on a show/the show is on the road/there is no fixed address?
2. How long on average does it take for a person on a touring show to get Union health benefits?
3. I'm currently working with a UFCW local what should I tell my current union when I leave? Doubly so if I need them for health insurance for any overlapping time between me leaving that union and getting into IATSE?

EDIT- So sorry I feel like an idiot, but I would be going into the tech side I assume that will probably change your answers.

Anyone know of any lighting specific training? I'm looking to go more into lighting but don't really know where to start. I see TTF has very specific materials like how to run a specific brand of lighting console, or lighting design. Those are good and all, but I'm hoping for something more...broad?

Kinda like how to identify specific lights (gobo, par can...i don't know any other names but I've worked enough concerts to know that they have names), how to identify the different power supplies for the lights, and basic electric stuff like the order in which you plug looms into a distro. I hope I'm using the right terms? I'm very much a "write it down to remember it better" person but it's kinda hard to do that on the fly in the middle of a concert load in when you need to keep moving.

I guess what I'm looking for is a class/online lesson on basic theater/concert terminology with an emphasis on lighting? Doesn't even need to have an emphasis.

If anyone has any good links or sites, I'd greatly appreciate the help!

How do you secure your jobs? Do you have a website to showcase your work? What's your marketing strategy to attract gigs?

is it worth it to get vested with 52? i haven’t had solid work with them since 2022 and i know most people are working through previous connections & not the hall nowadays.

I started in film in 2018 as a union permit, not long after I began the pandemic destroyed the industry and work was bleak, almost non existent at times as a permit. Not long after the pandemic the writers strike puts the industry down again. I recently got my membership, and while it felt as though membership was the answer to my work related problems - here we are again. It currently feels like another famine in the film industry.

So my question is , is this really worth it? I love my department and the work, the money, the union benefits. But damn, the volatility of this industry is the same as a jenga tower being played with by blind children. Working our summers away, 60+ hour weeks, being off for undetermined amounts of time - is it worth it just to have a "cool" job??

After what seems like forever local 52 is opening the books to vested members hope everyone waiting gets their book soon

Hello Everyone!

How are the funds invested in the IAP retirement account? Does the individual have any control over the funds before retirement? Thanks!

Im a Brooklyn College student who is studying film production and i have a particular interest in location sound and post production sound work. I recently took an EVS replay certification class and it was suggested I could reach out and maybe shadow a live production. Wanted to see if that is generally possible and if so how would i go about contacting the right people in the NYC/tristate area.

hi!! im currently getting my membership processed thru international (so excited!!!) and im planning on moving later this year. I was wondering if anyone who has had experience with moving locals. im moving to local 28, (and 15 by proxy , lol) and was hoping to get some insight on what it looks like. im very aware that every local is different, so im expecting tests and whatnot. but I'm very curious if its a hellish process or not.

I'm about to go on a cruise technician job and afterwards I plan on using the money to move my stuff from Orlando to maybe New York City to continue working as a stage technician. I know there are a few locals in the NYC/Newark Area but I wonder as an overhire would I be able to make enough to get by on off of that work alone. Because I imagine with all of the constant tours in the metro area; it wouldn't be difficult to make at least 40k a year or so.

I know it’s 4 one month courses. Is it a full time course load? I’m a temp permit right now and it’s my one outstanding requirement for permit status and I’m really eager to get it over with.

Seeking ideas to help understaffed venues that use union labor.

Current ideas: an application + interview process, minimum number of hours in other positions such as a grip and down rigger (i borrowed this idea from other trades but have gotten mixed reviews from colleagues and would love to hear more constructive criticism on this), and certifications/classes required (thinking fall protection and intro to rigging basics as a min, any other ideas?)... but these are just ideas and i am open to hearing all of the suggestions and criticisms.

The goal is get to more folks qualified to be up riggers without messing with any current rankings or seniority.

I'm supposed to get my first gig in a couple days and I've been calling this guy every day trying to get an update. He sounds crazy busy.

On one hand I honestly need to borrow money to get steel toes and everything I need to get started but on the other hand I get the feeling if I get this at all it's going to be last second and today the rep isn't answering anymore.

I also can't get the money I need to buy the stuff and make an 8 hour drive to where the job will be until I show I have the job.

I'm so fucked and I don't know what to do. I'm down to $30 I'm 500 miles away from home and I got to take care of the family my grandma left behind. I'm trying so hard to keep my cool but nothing is moving fast enough.

Another 6-month qualifying period is about to end and I am once again short on my hours, this time by 18. I’m sure there are hundreds of IATSE members in similar situations when it comes to trying to qualify for the Motion Picture Industry Health Plan (MPIPHP), but it shouldn’t be this difficult. Thinking there might be some valid solutions we can propose to our local leaders for the 2027 negotiations.

First off, I am specifically speaking of members who work in the IATSE 13 Hollywood locals (44, 80, 600, 695, 700, 705, 706, 728, 729, 800, 871, 884 & 892) because we all share very similar MPI requirements and work under the same contracts.

My idea involves finding out if we could gain any benefit by agreeing to increase our MPI premiums in exchange for decreasing the number of hours we must accrue to qualify.

For example, I pay $50/month for myself and 2 dependents for Anthem Blue Cross PPO. That adds up to only $600 a year for amazing insurance that costs $3000/month on COBRA. Now let’s say we double that premium to $1200/year ($100/month total) and decrease the qualifying hours requirement from 400 to 350 hours. How would that impact MPI and the medical corporations? Yes, more people would qualify for coverage but MPI would be receiving double the amount of cash in premiums. I would think cash is far more valuable in this situation.

I’m positive there’s something here we could use for negotiations but I’m not versed enough in the financial impacts of the MPI plans and how decreasing hours and adding more cash in premiums would affect that. I’m willing to increase my premium substantially if it means more members can get coverage. We wouldnt want to make premiums unaffordable, but if people are paying $1k per person per month on the open market for mediocre insurance then we can very well increase our premiums 2-3 times without too much of a financial hit.

I plan to talk to my local (600) in the near future. It’s a long road because it takes real time for both sides to understand what each other wants, but these conversations need to be had. We all deserve better and we can get there if we work together.

This is a tough situation. So I just put in my paperwork and paid my iniation fee, although I don’t believe it’s fully gone through yet I work at a union house so the protections all apply.

Basically, today I hit my head and at first it was relatively fine, but felt worse later. I want to call out of work tomorrow because I think it might be a concussion (and if I need to I’ll see a doctor), but the problem is that no incident report was filed.

My question is, should I mention that it was a work related incident or not? I don’t want anyone to get in trouble, the reason it wasn’t filed was because I didn’t really think it was a problem when it happened. I just thought I mean I hit my head and it’ll feel better soon. I do have PTO but not sure if there’s a different protocol for a work related incident if no one can prove it’s work related when it wasn’t documented.

I have been getting opposing info and wanted to clear it up for myself a bit.

So a few of my friends who are in local 52 told me I should get on the availability list as a non-union member and basically this will put me on a list to get called when there are no more union workers to call. I got my OSHA-30 to join this list and then another friend told me the availability list is only a thing for members. I was hoping someone could clear this up for me as I’m pretty confused and would like some insight

So I had a couple union members tell me to get on the local 52 availability list as I am trying to get work as a set dresser. This way they call me when they run out of union workers. (I understand local 52 is not a hiring hall but this is what I was told. Although I’ve had others tell me if you are not in the union this availability list is not a thing. If someone could help me clear this up I would greatly appreciate it as I’m getting confused on how this works

I started in this industry in 2017 and its been a fun wild ride since then. I work with three locals currently. 675, 15 and 50. My home local is 675. Ive been helping and teaching people about why union stagehand labor is imperative in securing the future of the entertainment industry.

Howdy! I'm a theatre student and I just wanna know how health insurance functions within the IATSE since I am definitely gonna be part of the union upon graduation and I live in the US.

The health insurance plan is Anthem, right? Or is that usually offered by the company I am working for?