Unions and Affiliations

[piperlacyboo]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 3:05pm

hi guys,

can someone help me understand who is connected to what regarding unions or other affiliations?

Producers = League of Theater Owners and Producers
Actors = AEA
Directors = Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers?
Choreographers = Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers?
Book Writers = ?
Composers = ?
Musicians = American Federation of Musicians Local 802
Stagehands = IATSE
Costume Builders = ?
Set Builders = ?

kind of a weird question, I know.
thanks

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 10:49pm

I believe book writers, composers, and lyricists are all part of the Dramatists Guild, which is not technically a union for a few reasons (although it more or less functions like one).

I don't know about set and costume builders. If you mean designers, they're under USA (United Scenic Artists). Pretty sure that covers costumes, too. If I'm wrong, someone please correct me.

Also, SSDC dropped an S. It's just SDC now. Not sure which S they dropped, though.

There are other unions, too: ATPAM (company managers and ushers), hair and wardrobe crew (it's a local, I forget the number), and Teamsters (the crew that transports sets and stuff for load-ins and load-outs).

Probably more, but those are the big ones.

[Geridith]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 11:06pm

Stage managers are AEA too! We always get overlooked :p

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 11:14pm

If the shop where the scenery is built is a union shop then it will be a mix of IATSE and USA members.

Set, costume, lighting, and sound designers are represented by USA.

Hair, makeup, and wardrobe crews are part of IATSE.

I'm honestly not sure if costume shops are covered by any of the unions. Anybody have an answer to that one?

And don't forget the various other performers' unions. AGMA (primarily covering opera and dance), AGVA (dealing with variety type shows) and of course SAG and AFTRA.

[singtopher]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 11:20pm

Don't forget the musicians union.

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 11:29pm

S/he didn't, it was in his/her original post.

[mina3]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 11:31pm

I'm pretty sure ushers are part of the same union as the box office staff, not ATPAM (press agents and managers). They're house staff as opposed to company staff.

Wardrobe staff (costumes and dressers) are TWU Local 764.

There are also unions for porters and cleaners (Local 33bj) and bartenders (Local 1245). Stage door attendants are part of a union as well, but I can't remember which.

[winston89]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 11:44pm

I do know that a lot of sets for both Broadway and TV shows done in NYC that build their sets in Jersey. Apparently, it is cheaper to do that and just ship it over and assemble it in New York, rather then going to a warehouse in Brooklyn and do it there.

I actually remember going to a Neil Young concert during the Local 1 strike. It was there that we met a stage hand friend of the coworker my dad brought. He spoke about how he wasn't involved in the strike because he does his work in Jersey, and told us about the time that he got to meet Jon Stewart when working at the shop constructing the new Daily Show set.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 2/4/10 at 11:53pm

House managers (along with press agents and company managers) are members of ATPAM but ushers are not.

And yes, why are stage managers always overlooked??

[piperlacyboo]

Posted: 2/5/10 at 12:40am

^ aww sorry about that. i knew sm's were a part of aea, but def should have listed them as that. you guys keep us safe and make it all come together.

thanks for all the help everyone.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 2/5/10 at 10:09am

"There are other unions, too: ATPAM (company managers and ushers)"

The ushers on Broadway are members of IATSE.

[Shakespearean]

Posted: 2/5/10 at 2:13pm

Yero wrote:
Also, SSDC dropped an S. It's just SDC now. Not sure which S they dropped, though.

Technically, they moved the first S. It was the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers. As part of our 50th anniversary, they renamed us as the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society though they are leaving the last S off the branding. They told us to think of it as 'SDC little S' to keep the society part in our hearts