International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) International President Matthew D. Loeb traveled to Washington D.C. on February 11th to meet with federal legislators and administration officials about implementing a federal film and television production tax incentive to return and maintain U.S. film and television jobs. On behalf of the IATSE membership, he urged federal policymakers to level the playing field for American workers and make the U.S. film and television industry more competitive on the global stage.
President Loeb and Political/Legislative Director Tyler McIntosh met with Congressional champions – including Representative Brian Jack (R-GA) who represents over 3,000 IATSE members, Representative Laura Friedman (D-CA) and Senator Adam Schiff (D-CA) who collectively represent tens of thousands of IATSE members – that are committed to addressing the dramatic loss of U.S. film and television production to foreign competition and support our fight for American film and TV jobs.
President Loeb and Director McIntosh also joined Special Ambassador to Hollywood Jon Voight, Motion Picture Association Chairman and CEO Charles Rivkin, Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien, members of Congress, Trump administration officials, and industry stakeholders for a reception and screening of “National Treasure” as part of a celebration of America250 to highlight the American film and television industry’s role as a powerful economic engine that supports hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs, fuels small businesses, and promotes American culture around the globe.
“I took with me to Washington the stories of IATSE members who have lost tens of thousands of job opportunities across the United States because other countries recognize the value that motion picture productions bring and are offering aggressive financial incentives to successfully lure projects overseas. America has fallen behind and the federal government must step up if it wants to save this signature American industry,” said President Loeb. “I appreciate the commitment of Special Ambassador to Hollywood Jon Voight, Representatives Jack and Friedman, Senator Schiff, and our coalition partners to solving this issue and bringing back American film and TV jobs.”
These strategic efforts have built momentum towards the introduction of a federal film and television production tax incentive and IATSE will continue its tireless advocacy with Congress and the White House to achieve that goal.
