The IATSE Mid-Summer General Executive Board meeting was held in New York, NY, at the Sheraton Times Square the week of August 6th, where leaders and delegates celebrated the union’s 125th anniversary, raised $22k for the IATSE-PAC fund, and the General Executive Board unanimously voted to update IATSE’s equality statement. On Wednesday, IATSE hosted its annual PAC reception at the Hard Rock Café in Times Square. During the event, delegates donated roughly $22,000 to the IATSE-PAC. 
On Thursday, the General Executive Board voted unanimously to update IATSE’s equality statement, changing the 2015 language “gender (including transgender people)” to “sex, gender identity and expression.” The updated statement reads, “We are opposed to unlawful and unfair discrimination and oppression on the grounds of sex, gender identity and expression…” This change is part of a broader initiative to foster a culture of inclusivity within the IATSE by using respectful language in official documents.
Later that same day, IATSE held its 125th anniversary gala, celebrating 125 years since representatives from New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Brooklyn, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Denver, Philadelphia, Syracuse, Buffalo, and Boston came together to found the National Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees on July 18th, 1893. The event featured speeches by New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento and IATSE International President Matthew Loeb, a recorded congratulatory statement from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and the unveiling of a new celebratory video detailing the history and importance of IATSE in the entertainment industry.