United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE, has released its membership-wide demographic data (graphic also attached to this release) to highlight an important internal issue and advocate for meaningful opportunities for underrepresented and often marginalized artists, designers, and professionals within the Local and across the entertainment industry.
Local USA 829 is the national labor union and creative community of artists, designers, and professionals working across the entertainment industry. For over 125 years, the Local has proudly represented and advocated for its members—which includes Scenic, Costume, Lighting, Sound, and Projection Designers; Scenic Artists; Computer Artists; Art and Costume Department Coordinators; and Scenic Shop workers—working in live performance, film, television, and commercials through collective bargaining, action, and solidarity.
“Our Local initiated our first ever demographic census to not only help the union better understand the landscape of our membership,” said National Business Agent Carl Mulert, “But having a complete picture of our union helps us advocate for every member at the bargaining table, in our conversations, and beyond our workplaces. Knowing the work, we have ahead of us to invite and include all means that we have a chance to strategically collaborate with our partners to foster an entertainment industry that is equitable and considerate of all working in the industry.”
With approximately 44.7% of the membership reporting, data from the Local USA 829 demographic census aligns with similar reports from other entertainment industry partners. The census revealed that a small majority of represented members identify as female (at 21.2%), a larger majority of our members (34.2%) identified as part of the white community, with strikingly smaller inclusion of members who identify as part of the Black Community (1.9%), Asian Community (2.7%), Latin/X Community (3.6%), Indigenous Community (0.4%), and the Middle Eastern/North African Community (0.6%).
“It is the start of a new entertainment season and attention is being drawn not only to what stories are being told, but who is telling those stories,” said Local member and USA 829 Eastern Region Trustee Sherrice Mojgani, who co-led and facilitated the union’s census efforts. “At Local USA 829, we are storytellers, but this census data shows that our demographics do not reflect the makeup of the United States and our communities–the very source of our stories. We must work together, including employers, to build an industry that can fully support BIPOC workers, resulting in more diverse teams of storytellers and more dynamic stories. That works starts here in our union.”
Local USA 829 is dedicated to bolstering an inclusive, anti-racist entertainment industry, one in which provides sustained and significant opportunities for underrepresented artists and workers in our agreements and more broadly. The Local recently negotiated its Majors Agreement in which a historically exploited role often held by women and BIPOC workers, Costume Department Coordinators, was brought under contract representation across all television and film production in New York City. Additionally, through its Off-Broadway Agreement, the union established a Membership Candidate Program, a pathway for early career designers to gain work experience, network with peers, join the union, and enter the industry.
The data also highlights opportunities to further advocate for often unconsidered communities that face discrimination and bias on the job. For instance, the Local USA 829 census showed that 9.9% of its members are primary caregivers and 12.4% of participating members noted that they have dependents for whom they are responsible.
“After surveying who designs in LORT theaters by pronoun for several years, the release of the union’s demographic survey data gives new opportunities for research and action steps,” said Porsche McGovern, Local member and USA 829 Eastern Region Trustee. “Looking at this data with an intersectional lens will allow the union to address the impacts of oppression with an awareness of the complexity and nuance necessary for lasting change. For example, as care giving disproportionately affects women, does that manifest as fewer contracts or less well-paid contracts or both or something completely different? How can the entertainment industry and society overcome the biases around care work?”
The union is committed to fostering an entertainment industry that embeds equity as a core tenet. Through union committees, negotiations, and education efforts, Local USA 829 is advancing this agenda, building mentorship and collaborative opportunities intended to shape and guide the communities that impact their colleagues and kin in entertainment.
“Our Union is committed to building a collaborative community that welcomes all,” said Local USA 829 President Edward Pierce. “That work starts here at home through education, engagement, listening, and, of course, collective action. All of us in the entertainment industry should heed the call to do better for our artists, for our audiences, and on behalf of our colleagues and kin.”
Further information from United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, IATSE: www.usa829.org
