Join the Union Behind Entertainment.

We are more than 170,000 entertainment industry professionals across the United States and Canada, including stagehands, front of house workers, wardrobe attendants, hair and makeup artists, motion picture and television production technicians, broadcast technicians, scenic artists, designers, animators, audiovisual technicians, and more.

We stand together to provide strong representation and win better wages, training, benefits and overall working conditions.

Q: How do you join the IATSE?

A: There are two primary ways to join:

Join an existing IATSE Local Union

Unionize your workplace.

When you and your coworkers join together to form a union, you have the right to negotiate with your employer as a group.

Contact an Organizer and Unionize your Workplace

This is not an application for work or membership. All submissions are strictly confidential. By submitting this form, you agree to our privacy policy.

First, tell us a little about you.

Next, tell us about your work.

Finally, tell us how we can help.

How to form a union:

This page focuses on how to unionize in the United States. Click here to visit our Canadian website.

1. Talk to your coworkers

Do you share common concerns about your jobs? Is your employer unwilling to discuss or rectify your concerns? If so, a union may help.

2. Contact an Organizer

A union organizer can help strategize and educate you and your coworkers about the process. Click here to reach out to one.

3. Build Support

In most private sector workplaces, U.S. federal labor law guarantees employees the right to talk to your coworkers about unionizing and other workplace issues, such as pay.

4. Vote!

When a majority of coworkers support joining together, workers typically sign confidential authorization cards to indicate their support. Your employer may voluntarily recognize the union through a "card check" by a neutral third party. If your boss does not agree to a card check or voluntarily recognize the union, we will file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to request a secret ballot union election.

We've been in the gig economy since 1893.

Our union was built by workers who moved from job to job, facing unpredictable hours, precarious employment and health care, and pay that didn’t reflect their contribution to the industry.

As workers from all corners of the entertainment industry, we are uniquely positioned and have the industry experience to win major gains on hours, continuous health coverage, and other important issues.

Some Rights and Protections IATSE has won on: