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Message from President Matthew Loeb: IATSE Endorses Rep. Howard Berman

IATSE General Board Endorses Obama 2nd Term

With Election Day now imminent, I wanted to remind you why the IATSE has officially endorsed Rep. Howard Berman in his race for re-election to Congress. More than any other Member of Congress, Howard Berman has fought, effectively and successfully, to protect the jobs and rights of IATSE members in the LA area. 

Throughout his career, Howard Berman has championed labor rights, including the right to bargain collectively. First as a labor lawyer, Howard Berman represented unions, including IATSE, in organizing efforts. As a state Assemblyman, he authored, sponsored, or negotiated nearly every piece of labor rights legislation that was enacted during his tenure. Most notably, Berman spearheaded the first in the nation law to provide farmworkers with the right to organize and bargain collectively. 

As a U.S. Congressman, Howard Berman has not only supported every major labor rights bill, but has also authored and passed legislation specifically designed to protect jobs in the movie and TV industry. Howard has authored several laws designed to protect movies and TV shows against theft, including the PRO IP Act. He also authored the bipartisan legislation that created Section 181 of the Internal Revenue Code, which boosts film and TV production by expediting tax write-offs for independent film production and television show costs. Howard was a primary force behind enactment of these laws, working tirelessly on our behalf.

I understand Howard’s opponent continues to subject him to a barrage of negative attacks.  More than anything, these attacks demonstrate that Howard’s opponent has no record of achievement on which to run.  For instance, it borders on the ridiculous to attack Howard, former Chairman and current Ranking Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, for doing his job by traveling to such geopolitical hot spots as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Liberia.  

As I stated when IATSE endorsed Howard, “Howard’s record of extraordinary legislative accomplishments on behalf of our members is unparalleled. When it comes to protecting our jobs and livelihoods, Howard Berman is a workhorse, not a show horse.”
 
In Solidarity, Matthew D. Loeb International President

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The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 170,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live events, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada.

For more information please contact:
General: comms@iatse.net
Press: press@iatse.net

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