IATSE, Unions & Labor

IATSE and the jurisdiction of a local

IATSE is a federation of local unions, not a single hiring body; each local holds a jurisdiction defined by a geography (a city or region) and a craft (stagehands, wardrobe, projection, or a specific film department). A producer never hires "IATSE" in the abstract — they sign with, and pull crew from, the specific local that holds jurisdiction over that venue and that work. One building can involve several locals at once (stagehands, Teamsters, and projection), so the first question on any job is which local governs which work.