Stagehands Local 28 Iatse

What Stagehands Local 28 Iatse does

Stagehands Local 28 IATSE is a nonprofit local labor union chartered on March 1, 1895, that represents stage, wardrobe, and motion-picture machine-operator professionals in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area, including northern Oregon and southern Washington. The local is a chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and operates a Hiring Hall dispatch system that vets members through application, panel interview, and tiered list placement (A/B/C), assigning them to producers, promoters, and venues requiring rigging, carpentry, lighting, audio, wardrobe, hair and makeup personnel. Members gain credentials via ETCP (Entertainment Technician Certification Program), Infocom, and the IATSE Training Trust, and a State of Oregon-sanctioned Apprenticeship Program introduced in 1985 supports structured entry into the trade.

Name

Stagehands Local 28 Iatse

Legal name

IATSE Local 28

Website

https://iatse28.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stagehands Local 28 IATSE is a nonprofit Portland-based labor union local representing over 200 stage and wardrobe professionals, operating a Hiring Hall to dispatch certified crews to venues, promoters, and producers across the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Theatrical Stage Labor Services

NAICS

Agents and Managers for Artists, Athletes, Entertainers, and Other Public Figures (711410)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Technical Production Management & Crew (MPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Crew & Labor Services (Production Staff, Unions, Payroll) (MPADAFAA), Skilled Trades (Electricians/Plumbers/HVAC/Carpenters) Staffing (BPACAEAB)

Keywords

• Stagehand labor services
• Live event production crews
• Theatrical stage technicians
• Wardrobe personnel dispatch
• Union crew hiring hall

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: IATSE Local 28 is a non-profit labor union. Members pay a small percentage (6% as referenced in hiring hall documents) back to the local to help cover operating costs. The organization does not make a profit.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IATSE Local 28 supplies highly skilled stage and wardrobe labor — rigging, carpentry, lighting, audio, wardrobe, hair and makeup personnel — to live entertainment producers, promoters, and venues through a Hiring Hall dispatch system. Employers contact the Business Representative and members are placed via an A/B/C-list ranking based on experience and testing. The local negotiates master agreements with venues and event producers throughout the Portland Metro area, northern Oregon, and southern Washington.

Product overview

IATSE Local 28 is a labor union, not a technology product company. It does not offer software products or services. The organization provides a Hiring Hall that functions as an employment referral service connecting skilled stage and wardrobe professionals (rigging, carpentry, lighting, audio, wardrobe, hair and makeup) with employers for live events at venues throughout the Portland Metro area including northern Oregon and southern Washington. Members can access the Hiring Hall after completing an application, interview process, and meeting eligibility requirements including work hour thresholds and residence criteria.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hiring Hall Services Employment referral and dispatch service that connects IATSE Local 28's stage and wardrobe members with employers producing live entertainment events across the Portland Metro area, northern Oregon, and southern Washington. Members are vetted through an application and interview process and placed on a dispatch list ranked by experience and testing; employers contact the Business Representative to request crew. Coverages include rigging, carpentry, lighting, audio, wardrobe, hair and makeup for Broadway shows, concerts, sporting events, corporate events, and trade shows.
• Master Labor Agreements with Venues and Producers Negotiated collective-bargaining master agreements with major venues, producers, and arts organizations (Portland Opera, Oregon Ballet Theater, Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Children's Theatre, Oregon Symphony, ACME Scenic, Portland Center for the Performing Arts) governing wage rates, benefits, working conditions, and supply of stage and wardrobe crews across the region.
• Skilled Stagehand Crew Supply (Rigging, Carpentry, Lighting, Audio) Provision of trained crew members for backstage technical roles at live events: riggers, carpenters, lighting technicians, and audio technicians, qualified through internal apprenticeship, State of Oregon-sanctioned apprenticeship programs, and certifications such as ETCP and Infocom.
• Wardrobe, Hair, and Makeup Crew Supply Provision of trained wardrobe, hair, and makeup personnel for theatrical, opera, ballet, symphony, and live touring productions in the Portland Metro area, with labor supplied under negotiated master agreements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 116+ years of continuous operation in Portland entertainment industry
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Portland OperacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership providing stage and technical support for opera performances at Portland venues.
• Oregon Ballet TheatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration for ballet production support and technical expertise.
• Portland Trail BlazerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContract negotiated to provide all stagehands for Moda Center (Rose Garden Arena) and Veterans Memorial Coliseum, covering basketball games and other arena events since 1994.
• Oregon Children's TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for children's theatrical productions and performances.
• Oregon SymphonycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster agreement partnership providing stagehands for symphony performances and orchestral events.
• ACME ScenicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for scenic design and production support services.
• Portland Center for the Performing ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership covering Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Newmark Theatre, and Winningstad Theatre operations.
• IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees)flagshipOthersPart of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts - the largest entertainment labor organization in the world. Local 28 operates under the IATSE umbrella with access to National Benefits Fund and 401(k) plans.
• IATSE National Benefits FundcoreOthersNational Benefits Fund providing health insurance and benefits programs for IATSE members.
• Entertainment Industry 401(k) PlancoreOthers401(k) retirement savings plan for entertainment industry workers.
• ETCP (Entertainment Technician Certification Program)coreTechnology or IntegrationCertification program for rigging and electrical technicians that IATSE Local 28 works with for training and certification of members.
• InfocomcoreTechnology or IntegrationTraining and certification partner for sound and AV (audiovisual) education and professional development.
• IATSE Training TrustcoreOthersTraining Trust providing educational resources, classes, and programs for IATSE members in areas including sound, lighting, tool safety, rigging safety, and more.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• IATSE Local 11: Stagehands local covering the Boston/central Massachusetts region under IATSE. Operates a similarly structured hiring hall dispatching technical crews for theaters, concert halls, and arena shows — a directly comparable peer.
• IATSE Local 19: Baltimore/DC-area stagehands local under IATSE, supplying rigging, lighting, audio, and wardrobe crews to touring Broadway and arena productions along the mid-Atlantic. Directly comparable labor-dispatch function and scale.
• IATSE Local 15: Stagehands local covering Minneapolis and the upper Midwest under IATSE, dispatching technical crews to regional theaters, concert venues, and arena events. Comparable role and operating model in a similar-sized regional market.
• IATSE Local 8: Philadelphia stagehands local under IATSE, providing rigging, lighting, audio, and wardrobe labor to East Coast touring productions and major regional venues. Same labor union model and service offering as Local 28.
• IATSE Local 2: San Francisco Bay Area stagehands and projectionists local within IATSE. Same labor-dispatch business model serving Bay Area venues, touring productions, and corporate events — directly analogous to Local 28 in size and structure.
• IATSE Local 1: Stagehands local for New York City, the largest IATSE stagehand chapter. Operates the same Hiring Hall dispatch model for Broadway, concerts, and large venue events, providing the closest functional comparison to Local 28.
• IATSE Local 33: Los Angeles stagehands local under the same IATSE international, dispatching rigging, lighting, audio, and wardrobe crews to major venues and touring productions. Directly comparable role and operating model, in a larger but analogous jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• Production Resource Group (PRG): Large global provider of entertainment production services including lighting, audio, video, and rigging equipment with associated crews. Comparable buyer-of-crew-services counterpart and competitor for some production work, but operates as a for-profit equipment/services firm.
• Actors' Equity Association: Labor union representing stage managers and live-stage performers under the AFL-CIO. Adjacent to Local 28's role as a backstage entertainment union, but covers performers rather than technical crew, and operates nationally rather than regionally.

Emerging players

• Teamsters Local 305: Portland-area Teamsters local representing event logistics, drivers, and freight handlers at major venues. Touches the same live-event ecosystem as Local 28 from a logistics/transport angle, with partial overlap in event-production employers and venues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/iatse28
• Facebookfacebook.com/IATSE.Local28
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iatse-local-28

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stagehands Local 28 Iatse