The Board of Directors of the IATSE voted unanimously today to re-elect President Joe Biden. The vote came shortly after Biden announced he would run for a second term.
“In 2020, President Biden has pledged to be the most pro-union president since Franklin D. Roosevelt,” the union said in a statement. “In the opinion of the Board of Directors, he has repeatedly fulfilled this promise since he was appointed. Our union has never had such a willing White House staff. The Biden-Harris administration has actively sought to include the behind-the-scenes voices of entertainers in decisions that affect our industries and workplaces.
Following the vote, IATSE President Matthew Loeb said, “I am proud to give this endorsement on behalf of the IATSE Board and to continue to stand with President Biden in the way he has consistently advocated for us. President Biden has brought IATSE to the table and given it unprecedented opportunities to influence policy decisions that may affect our members.We are grateful for his cooperation and look forward to continuing our common struggle to improve the lives of working people across the country. “
Looking at Biden’s track record on issues affecting the union and its members, IATSE noted that:
- He signed the American Rescue Plan Act, which gave IATSE members the relief they needed to stay safe until they could get back to work.
- He established the White House Task Force on Worker Organization and Empowerment, which tasked IATSE with providing input for executive actions that would improve worker organizing and empowerment in our industries.
- His federal budgets continually called for additional federal funding for the arts, allowing Congress to achieve record levels of funding for the NEA and NEH.
- Its staff, appointed by the National Labor Relations Board, have dedicated their careers to protecting and advocating for workers.
- He restored the President’s Arts and Humanities Committee and appointed union leaders to ensure that workers had a seat at the table.
- His agency, which oversees our nation’s international trade, worked with IATSE and other arts unions to report on the adverse effects of online piracy on employees.
- His Secretary of Labor, Marty Walsh, a former union member, visited the IATSE Local 720 in Las Vegas to discuss the return of live events and the issues we continue to face.
- He spoke directly with IATSE members to learn more about the impact of the pandemic on our industries and invited a young IATSE organizer to the White House to take our achievements in animation to the next level.
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
