The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees has endorsed Joe Biden for president, praising the presumptive Democratic nominee for offering a “stark and undeniable contrast from the current administration” for “working people.”
“Labor unions are under assault, with policies under the current administration and across the country undermining workers’ collective bargaining rights and stripping union workers of the wages, benefits, and retirement security they deserve,” IATSE said in a statement on Tuesday. “If elected, Biden has pledged to sign the Protecting the Right to Organize Act into law, champion legislation banning so-called ‘right to work’ laws, appoint members to the National Labor Relations Board who will protect workers, increase workplace safety and health, and ensure freelance entertainment workers receive the legal benefits and protections they deserve by making it harder for employers to misclassify workers as independent contractors.”
“Joe Biden has consistently lifted up and prioritized issues affecting IATSE members and their families – from protecting workers’ rights to organize a union and bargain for higher wages and better benefits, to defending our earned pension checks and health care,” the union continued.
IATSE is a Hollywood union representing over 150,000 workers in film, TV and stage production. Most recently, the union has created a volunteer program for retired members during the pandemic, which allows those who are vulnerable to the virus to request deliveries of groceries and medication from other union members nearby to them.