Local 600's IATSE Delegates Share Their Experiences from the District and Quadrennial Conventions

Local 600's IATSE delegates and leadership have returned from the week-long District and Quadrennial Conventions. Many of the delegates in attendance have provided their key takeaways from the union proceedings, including the strengthened #IASolidarity amongst all the IATSE locals across North America. We are stronger together, and we will rely on that strength in our future negotiations with employers in every arena. 

Matthew Borek, Western Region 1st AC

District 2 is an opportunity to connect with members in the Western Region and the Quadrennial is the primary venue for the exchange of ideas, practices and support across every department and territory of the IATSE. The common bond I found was an innate desire to provide support during difficult times and advancement opportunities during successful ones.

Jennifer Braddock, Central Region 2nd AC

Between district meetings, committee events, caucuses and the general sessions, we had a packed week of discussions and decisions not just within our local but with the entire delegation from across North America. To echo President Loeb’s closing remarks, the room was bursting with energy and commitment that we should use to springboard us into the future.

Sarah Brandes, Western Region Operator

I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the underdogs, the rights of camera operators, women and mothers, those seeking fair wages and retirement, individuals searching for a path, those who feel isolated looking for a family, and the disenfranchised seeking a beacon of hope, along with every single person in this room!

Brown Cooper, Central Region Director of Photography

I feel that attending this event was crucial to learning about shared ideals and common goals of all IA locals. There were so many opportunities to learn what other locals do and what some of their issues might be. There were also many opportunities to educate other locals about what Local 600’s issues are and how there is strength in numbers and that solidarity among all IA locals is the best way to move unionism forward, which in turn helps provide security for working people.

Michelle Crenshaw, Western Region Director of Photography

The leadership of the IATSE showed its commitment to working members, diverse labor leaders, and kin. Participating with other locals and hearing working people’s challenges was truly exhilarating.

Sarah May Guenther, Eastern Region 2nd AC

Whatever impression you have, or opinions you carry related to how 'broken the system is,' these opinions immediately get thrown out the window as you directly take part in how the sausage is made and must consider the many elements at play in the manufacturing of union security, solidarity and prosperity. This week felt both highly engaging and left me with a lot of hope with the potential for the future.

Cai Hall, Eastern Region Assistant

We had a rare and wonderful opportunity to connect with delegates representing Locals from across the U.S. and Canada, covering a wide range of crafts. From audiovisual workers in the Coachella Valley and film crews in Texas, to retail employees at Universal’s CityWalk and tour guides at Dodger Stadium, we shared stories about our work, our markets, and the unique challenges we each face. But more than that, we found common ground—talking about what unites us, and what it means to stand together as union kin.

David Hirschmann, Western Region Operator

I was definitely inspired to feel the solidarity of hundreds of delegates (970 to be exact) and our IA leadership.  Only by pulling on the rope together (or waiting out a tsunami together), can we achieve improvements in our contracts and move toward a better quality of life for all IA members.  

Alaina McManus, Western Region 1st AC

I was able to exchange ideas with locals that I never normally see on set, like Local 700, and we were able to brainstorm on how we can grow stronger together as we prepare for the next round of bargaining.

Dave Perkal, Western Region Director of Photography

I was particularly impressed with both guest speakers, Liz Shuler from the AFL-CIO and Sean O’Brien from the Teamsters. Of note were their succinct appraisal of the current political environment and similar strategies for a path forward that puts the benefit of their membership first. Liz Shuler said, “The Dems aren’t going to save us, Republicans aren’t going to save us. We have to do it and its workers against billionaires.” Sean O’Brien said, “We can either feel sorry for ourselves and sit around for the next 3 years, or we get to work, hold our noses, and work with those in office. We owe it to our members to put their needs ahead of our personal political biases.”

Selene Preston, Eastern Region Operator

I am inspired by the strength of President Loeb’s vision for our union. His support of the Pride Committee, the DEI Committee and the Women’s Committee is part of the reason we have come so far in the past 11 years that I’ve been a member of Local 600. President Loeb has made it a priority to support these groups, and he is the strongest possible ally.

Paul Varrieur, Central Region Director of Photography

Solidarity at the 2025 quadrennial for Local 600 delegates included a meeting with our 667 and 669 Canadian camera locals brothers and sisters. This meeting proved invaluable as comparisons of contracts, safety issues, and technology challenges were shared.

Mark Weingartner, Western Region Director of Photography

Being in a room with a thousand or so delegates from across the US and Canada, including Puerto Rico, it is humbling to remember how big as we are, we are only one star in a big firmament of IATSE locals - many of which do work that has nothing to do with movies or TV, yet the solidarity in the room was real - not just performative. We passed resolutions that indicate the direction the IATSE as a whole will go - supporting what is good for workers and protecting the most vulnerable among us.