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Membership Information

Providing services to its members since 1893, IATSE now serves over 105,000 members across Canada and the United States.

The members of IATSE, through solidarity and dedication to their craft, have achieved many benefits. Union membership provides collective bargaining resources, security, safe working conditions, financial planning, and health benefits. Organized labour protects the workers and ensures their fair treatment in the workplace.

For those interested in joining IATSE Local 210, we have provided our membership policies. To learn more about the departments we represent, click on one of the links below:

 

There are two basic steps to becoming a member of IATSE Local 210:

The details for each step are outlined below.

Becoming a "Permitee" is the first step toward advancement to member status in the IATSE Local 210 Union. Permitee status allows you to work in venues and on productions under the jurisdiction of Local 210. Permitees are dispatched when a position cannot be filled by a union member. However, Permitee status does not guarantee receiving calls for work.

Persons applying for Permitee status in all Film Departments are required to take a (IATSE Local 210 approved) Set Etiquette and Protocol Course prior to their acceptance into any given department. The Set Etiquette course is a one-day course which costs $95.00 (plus GST). If you are interested in taking the course, please contact Grant MacEwan College at (780) 497 - 5000 or email johnpru@shaw.ca

The film, television, and theatrical stage industries are very demanding in the technical areas over which the IATSE has jurisdiction. When the Union supplies personnel to facilitate safe and proficient productions, the organization must be able to stand behind each worker, confident that he / she is an experienced, trained, competent, and talented professional. To that end, you are advised to consider the following criteria when deciding to pursue your resume submission. The processing fee only guarantees that your resume will be reviewed within the following six months; nothing further. After candidates have submitted up-to-date resumes and provided proof that they have completed the (IATSE 210 approved) set etiquette and protocol course, Permitee status will be determined based on the following:

 

Please note that this is not an application for membership. It is an application for "Permitee" status. Should you be approved, you will be granted "Permitee" status until such time as you may be considered for membership.

If, after careful consideration, you wish to apply for "Permitee" status with IATSE Local 210, please submit the following by mail, or by dropping by the Office:

Should you submit an application with incomplete information or without possessing the necessary qualifications, please be aware that the processing fee is non-refundable.

Applications can take up to 6 months to process. You will be notified as soon as your application has been reviewed. Please do not telephone and inquire as to the status of your application. Departments are responsible for reviewing and approving Permitee applications. It is necessary to correspond with the department in writing as there are not representatives of the individual departments in this office.

Please refer to the list of departments and job titles which fall under the jurisdiction of IATSE Local 210.

 

First Gig Etiquette

This page is a fantastic resource for new Members and Permitees. It outlines what you can expect on those first few calls, including what to wear, what to bring, what to do (or what NOT to do!), and how to do it.

Locals within the Alliance maintain "home rule" or local autonomy. They subscribe to the International Constitution and Bylaws, but maintain local constitutions and bylaws, governing the particulars of individual Locals. Here are the basic requirements for Membership in Local 210:

Candidates for membership must:

If a candidate for membership meets established criteria, she / he will be proposed to the membership for their consideration at a regular meeting. The regular members of the Local, by vote of simple majority, will determine who will join the ranks as a Union brother or sister.

The candidate will then complete an official application for membership which will be submitted to the International (along with a non-refundable processing fee of $100.00) for endorsement by the General Secretary / Treasurer. Upon completion of this process (which may take up to four weeks), the candidate will be initiated into the Local, pledging allegiance to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Alliance before the general membership and / or the Executive Committee. At this time, a one-time-only initiation fee of $200.00 is due to the Local, along with the first quarter dues of $75.00.

The new member is now a junior member for a probationary period of no longer than one year. After the initial probationary period, the member will be elevated to regular member status by a vote of the regular membership in attendance. As a junior member, an individual enjoys all rights, privileges, and obligations of Union membership except for the for restrictions on holding office or committee positions.

The Local is not an employer. It functions as a representative of its members, a hiring hall, and an occasional "payroll agent". The Local is not an employment agency and does not guarantee work for any member. The Local is a Union, an organization of individual members attempting, through collective action, to improve working conditions in the workplace and to foster opportunities for employment for those individuals.

The Local fills job vacancies within the industry on the basis of "qualified seniority". Members in good standing maintain their position on the "calling roster" in with respect to:

This alone is the basis on which jobs are filled beyond the accepted industry standard of the producer's choice for department heads and local seconds for feature films, and seniority designate department heads on general stage calls. Membership of the Local will not go to work within the jurisdiction of the IATSE unless authorized to do so by the local.

As a member IATSE Local 210, an individual will enjoy the benefits of contract conditions negotiated by the Local with various employers protecting working conditions on the job site, guaranteeing rates of pay, and additional benefits. Currently Local 210's benefit package includes: vacation pay of 6%, pension benefit of 4% (employer and employee share), as well as a very respectable hourly wage. In return, the member pays a working assessment of 3% of gross earnings to the Local to maintain programs and provide administration. The member will enjoy the benefits of union-funded accidental death and dismemberment coverage.

The Local commits a significant amount of energy and resources to promoting employment within the jurisdiction; maintaining and expanding a reputation for supplying competent, hard working and enthusiastic professional technicians to the entertainment industry. To ensure this reputation, the Local has programs in training and education in order that members may maintain, expand and upgrade their craft skills.

Alcohol and substance abuse will not be tolerated in the workplace and are considered grounds for dismissal from the job and suspension from the calling roster. Further abuse will result in expulsion.

The new member has some very basic obligations to the Union:

 

To apply for sister status to IATSE Local 210, please use this form:

Application for Sister Status PDF document

Federal TD1 Form PDF document

Provincial TD1 Form PDF document

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