🎥 BREAKING: IATSE Expresses Support for Federal Film and TV Tax Incentive Legislation, Other Measures to Keep Jobs in U.S.
Today, we indicated our support for U.S. Representative Adam Schiff’s recent letter to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) requesting statistics relevant to ensuring the United States maintains its standing as a leader in the film and television production industry.
Countries like the United Kingdom, Australia, and others have recently escalated their federal incentive and subsidy structures to lure productions from the United States.
This has been one of the many forces which have resulted in a persistent economic downturn in the U.S. film and TV industry — with production in 2023 and 2024 down significantly compared to 2022.
While states like California, New York, Georgia, and New Jersey have offered tax credits for production — and these have generated billions in local economic output and created thousands of jobs — in recent years state incentives alone have not been enough to prevent productions from moving overseas.
“The proposal to implement a federal incentive would level the playing field and address this imbalance,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb.
“We support the concept of a federal incentive for the creation of film and TV, provided the plan also has mechanisms to uphold labor standards. We are committed to saving America’s entertainment industry, and we look forward to working with our members, local unions, allies, and lawmakers at all levels to get it done.”
With this announcement, IATSE joins the Congressman in urging the BLS and BEA to gather and release data on the impact of foreign production incentives on U.S. jobs and local communities.
IATSE remains on strike against “CoComelon: The Melon Patch”.
The employer is attempting to hire replacement crew for its production.
Members are asked to contact their local if they are called to work on this production.
IATSE has reached an agreement with the producers of Beast Games season 3!
The new contract covers more than 500 crew members working on the production, which is based in Greenville, N.C. Members working on the show will receive back pay and benefits for pre-production work that has already been completed and will remain covered by this agreement for this season and subsequent seasons.
The last season of the competition-style reality series was made under IATSE agreements, but producers started production of the third season non-union. As a result, IATSE members and Locals across the United States made a collective push to organize this large-scale production, which was co-created and is hosted by YouTube personality MrBeast.
IATSE condemns the recent decision issued by the Supreme Court affecting Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965.
The decision by the Supreme Court to allow redistricting practices that dilute the voting strength of historically underrepresented communities raises serious concerns when it comes to political representation. Over time, changes in political representation can drastically shape the laws, labor standards, and economic opportunities that affect working people. Ultimately, it matters who has a seat at the table and how they are elected.
Worker power and political representation have always been interconnected. History has shown that attacks on political representation have often gone hand-in-hand with anti-union policies, including wage suppression, weakened labor protections, and exclusion from economic opportunity.
WE HAVE A DEAL!
May 11, 2026
Animation Union and ICON Creative Studio Reach Tentative First Collective Agreement
The Canadian Animation Guild - IATSE Local 938, alongside ICON Creative Studio, are proud to announce that they have reached a tentative agreement on a first contract, pending a vote by workers on whether to ratify the agreement in around three weeks.
ICON workers certified their union in June 2024, and the Bargaining Committee began negotiations with the employer in early 2025. This tentative agreement covers over 800 workers, and is set for a 2-year term. Workers and stakeholders will receive further details about the tentative agreement over the next few weeks, prior to a ratification vote.
“ICON workers aren’t just world-class talent, they are a community, where supervisors look out for junior workers, and folks from a dozen countries join together in their passion for storytelling”, says Eddy Pedreira, President of CAG 938, “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished over this past year, and I look forward to a strong start to this partnership”.
“ICON’s artists have been the heart and soul of ICON’s success and amazing trajectory for over 13 years. We’re extremely excited to graduate to this next step with them together as a key component to our studio’s work on high end series and animated feature films. So much passion exists at every level, and we’re very proud to continue to build ICON with them” says Shea Wageman, President of ICON Creative Studio Inc.
The Canadian Animation Guild will be hosting meetings and information sessions to prepare ICON employees to vote on their agreement. Workers are encouraged to read the full document, as well as highlights and an FAQ, at /.
Based in British Columbia and formed in 2020, The Canadian Animation Guild is Canada’s first animation Union Local. Representing workers in animation and organizing with workers in allied industries such as VFX, video games, and digital arts, CAG 938 is a Local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.
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The creative and technical workers behind the wildly successful YouTube channels of Theorist Media are still fighting for their union, and one pivotal person has remained silent during this historic fight.
@Matpatgt , even though it’s been 2 years since you left the company, your sustained connection to @TeamTheorist is undeniable, and your former colleagues that helped you build its success from the ground up very much need your support - please tell @Clemens_Semel & Lunar X to do the right thing.
#TheoristsUnite
Congratulations to the crew of the San Diego Musical Theatre on their new union with IATSE Local 122!
Patricia Lutz, Wardrobe Supervisor, spoke on the importance of winning collective representation: “Having union representation means I have a voice, that I am not alone when it comes to holding the company accountable for safety and working conditions. I am looking forward to working with the company to make much needed improvements and to have better job security.”
IATSE is ON STRIKE against CoComelon: The Melon Patch, a live-action spin-off of the union-made animated series.
Rather than provide fair wages and benefits to the crew the producer is trying to hire scabs for the production that’s shooting in Sun Valley, Calif.
Following reports that Kennedy Center management is firing IATSE members in breach of their collective bargaining agreement, the AFM has released the following response: /2026/05/afm-stands-with-iatse-workers/
🚨 BREAKING: IATSE is condemning management of the Kennedy Center, alleging the Center is violating its contract and laying off union workers without meeting its legal obligation to bargain.
During bargaining last week, the Kennedy Center confirmed it has laid off or terminated all workers in its Instant Charge and Group Sales and Subscription departments, effective April 27, more than two months before the temporary closure begins. Management also confirmed it will not replace the work.
“This is not a normal closure-related layoff,” said International President Matthew D. Loeb. “The Kennedy Center appears to be using a temporary closure as cover to permanently eliminate union jobs in violation of its contract and federal labor law.”
