IATSE Gives Wendy Greuel Unanimous Endorsement

Greuel Scores Highly Coveted Endorsement from Entertainment Workers Union

LOS ANGELES— Today, Los Angeles City Controller Wendy Greuel earned an extremely valuable endorsement from the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts (IATSE), in her campaign for Mayor.

In addition to winning today’s endorsement from the union representing workers in the entertainment industry, Greuel has won support from several heavyweights in the entertainment industry, including: Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, whom she worked with at DreamWorks SKG; as well as a long list of other prominent figures in the industry.

“What an honor it is for the IATSE to endorse a candidate as dynamic and forward thinking as Wendy Greuel to tackle the issues facing Los Angeles,” said Mike Miller, Jr., International Vice President Division Director, Motion Picture and Television, of IATSE.

“It is time to put an end to runaway production in the City of Los Angeles,” said Thom Davis, Business Manager of IATSE Local 80. “And that’s why we decided to take an early and bold stand in the upcoming Mayor’s race, by enthusiastically endorsing Wendy Greuel to be our next Mayor. Wendy understands our issues because she’s lived them. She knows the importance of keeping entertainment jobs in LA. We’re also confident that she’ll be a fierce advocate who will compete nationally and internationally for more entertainment jobs and expansion of the industry, right here, in Los Angeles.”

A member of the California Film Commission for over a decade, Greuel has worked on a wide-range of entertainment industry issues over the years, and helped secure $100 million of filming incentives annually beginning fiscal year 2009-10 through fiscal year 2013-14. She’s also successfully worked to reform Los Angeles’ business policy, to modernize the city’s archaic tax system and to keep the film industry based in the city of Los Angeles.

"I am honored to receive this tremendous endorsement from IATSE,” said Greuel. “I strongly believe that the entertainment industry is the signature industry of our city. As Mayor, I will work hard to stop runaway production by working directly with IATSE, studios and production companies to continue to advocate for economic incentives to keep film production and entertainment jobs here in Los Angeles."

IATSE is the largest union representing workers in the entertainment industry. Their members work in all forms of theater, motion picture and television production, trade shows and exhibitions, television broadcasting, and concerts, as well as the equipment and construction shops that support all these areas of the entertainment industry. They represent virtually all the behind the scenes workers in crafts ranging from motion picture animator to theater usher. IATSE has a membership of over 113,000 workers.

Additionally, Greuel has also been endorsed by the United Steel Workers (USW), Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1277, and the Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 501.