Conclusion:

The standard way of thinking about the union movement is that after the 1930s and 40s union density has declined yet the experience of the Local challenges this common viewpoint. Even after the 1991 NY Film Boycott, the internationalization of the film industry, new technologies, and COVID 19, the Local would continue to steadily grow in time to represent three crafts and expand to over a thousand members by the late 2000s. The local union has grown even as other larger entertainment unions locals like NABET-15 have dissolved and merged with others. While there are many factors that are outside of the control of the local, its ability to represent the interest of its members in contract negotiations and maintain and improve quality of life is key to its continued growth and longevity. its ability to not make significant concessions relative to other unions was important to the continued livelihood of its members during negotiations during periods of strikes and boycotts. As IATSE 161 continues to fight and win key demands like quality of life measures, wages, and better working conditions, turnaround time will play an important role in the lives of its members. In the words of the Current IATSE President Matt Loeb “Strength equals growth”.

        Now, there are a number of limitations to this research project. The first is that this project used primary sources that were mostly gained from internal IATSE local 161 meetings. Missing from this archive are interviews, primary documents from the International IATSE union and finally internal sources from businesses. Thus some of the strategic decisions such as Barbara Robinson’s decision to win over NABET 15’s script department to local 161 and why NABET 15 went over with IATSE and not the IBEW can’t be explained based on the primary sources used. Moreover this study did not have the resources or focus of what drove IATSE’s recent wave of union organizing drives. With respect to IATSE’s work supporting the foundation of other union efforts; such as the SAG-AFTRA strike or the WGA, these are again outside the texts used. However, we can say that IATSE in many regions did respect the picket lines of SAG- AFTRA and the WGA.  

With these limitations in mind, can we say anything more about the role of IATSE and the entertainment worker’s role in labor history. Perhaps if we look at it through the vantage point of Commodity Fetishism. As we move into an increasingly virtual era, everything is online and human relationships are perceived or are being mediated by online apps;  the actual work that it takes to create art, to create commodities, to create services are  made invisible. It almost seems like the virtual world comes out of thin air.  Strikes and labor actions that disrupt and even challenge this visual perception can play a role in showing the public that labor is the key driving force of our economy. Even if this economy is “post industrial” it will never be “post labor.” In the course of workers organizing an industry that is highly profitable and large