What Iatse Local 15 does

IATSE Local 15 (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local #15) is a regional labor union local representing live event workers across Western Washington State. Affiliated with IATSE International, the union operates a Hiring Hall referral service that connects employers with skilled stagehands, audiovisual technicians, and projectionists for concerts, festivals, corporate summits, expos, and other live events. Workers enter through two pathways: the F-List (career-building pathway requiring a qualification test administered by the Board of Examiners) and the G-List (occasional overflow work during peak demand). Workers who accumulate sufficient hours (500 hours in a calendar year, 750 over two years, or 160 at a represented employer) become full card-carrying members with voting rights and governance participation.

The union's core product is the Hiring Hall itself, supplemented by Workplace Organizing Services that help non-union workers form bargaining units and negotiate first contracts. Local 15 also provides member access to pooled benefits (healthcare and retirement funded by employer contributions), safety training through the IATSE Training Trust (including free OSHA 10 certification), and 'just cause' employment protections. Its business model is subscription-recurring in nature: employer benefit contributions per hour worked flow into the union's benefit pool, and full members pay dues. The organization is governed by elected officers (President, Vice-Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms) and an Executive Board, with day-to-day operations run by a Business Agent, Organizers, Hiring Hall Manager, Dispatch Lead, and Assistant Business Agents.

Local 15 is headquartered at the Seattle Labor Temple and represents workers across a diverse employer base ranging from school districts and small clubs to stadiums and large-scale festivals. The union is not a technology platform; its dispatch and referral processes are human-mediated through Business Agent coordination, with member-facing digital tools limited to a Ning-based community platform (Backstage) and a Union Impact member portal. No revenue, dues rates, or membership figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Iatse Local 15

Legal name

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local #15

Website

https://ia15.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

IATSE Local 15 is a regional labor union local representing live event workers across Western Washington, operating a Hiring Hall referral service that connects employers with skilled stagehands, audiovisual technicians, and projectionists through career-pathway and occasional-worker tiers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Live event labor union
• Stagehand referral services
• Entertainment workforce hiring
• Workplace organizing services
• Union member representation

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Dues and Benefit Contributions: IATSE Local 15 operates as a labor union representing live event workers. The union receives benefit contributions from employers who hire through the Hiring Hall, pooling these to fund healthcare and retirement benefits for workers. Workers may also pay union dues upon becoming full members. The union's revenue derives from employer benefit contributions and member dues rather than product sales.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IATSE Local 15 is a labor union local based in Seattle, Washington, representing live event workers across Western Washington. The organization provides a Hiring Hall that refers qualified stagehands, projectionists, wardrobe staff, and other entertainment industry workers to productions through a two-tier F-List (career) and G-List (occasional) dispatch system. It also provides Workplace Organizing services to mobilize workers and negotiate collective bargaining agreements on their behalf.

Product overview

IATSE Local 15 is a labor union offering a unified service portfolio centered on its Hiring Hall — a worker referral platform that connects live event employers with skilled stagehands, audiovisual technicians, and projectionists. The Hiring Hall operates through two worker tiers: the F-List (for career-bound workers requiring qualification testing) and the G-List (for occasional/gig workers). The union supplements its core referral service with full membership pathways, workplace organizing services for new bargaining units, and direct business agent coordination for employers seeking skilled union labor. The organization does not operate as a technology platform but as a membership-based labor organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hiring Hall Referral Service A two-tier dispatch service that refers qualified union workers to live event productions in Western Washington. Workers are categorized on the F-List (career stagehands) or G-List (occasional workers), giving employers flexible access to crews of varying sizes and tenure.
• Workplace Organizing Services Organizing and mobilization services that bring live event workers together for the purpose of collective bargaining, contract negotiation, and advocacy on workplace issues within the IATSE framework.
• Union Membership Membership in IATSE Local 15 that provides live event workers with access to the Hiring Hall dispatch system, negotiated wages and benefits, and representation in workplace matters under the local's IATSE collective bargaining agreement.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free OSHA 10 training and safety education through IATSE Training Trust

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MLK Labor CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 June 2020IATSE Local 15 stands in solidarity with the MLK Labor Council's resolution affirming commitment to an anti-racist labor movement. The union has committed to forming a Diversity Committee and addressing systemic barriers to entry in the live events industry for BIPOC, LGBTQIA, and women workers.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• IATSE Local 1: Largest IATSE local in New York City representing Broadway and large-venue stagehands. Operates the same Hiring Hall referral model, collective bargaining structure, and training trust access as Local 15, but at significantly greater scale and venue density.
• IATSE Local 2: Sister IATSE stagehand local in Kansas City, MO. Operates a comparable Hiring Hall referral service for stagehands and AV technicians in live events, with the same IATSE Training Trust and collective bargaining framework.
• Actors' Equity Association: Labor union representing live theatrical performers in the U.S. Operates a comparable collective bargaining and referral model for live performance workers, often co-representing productions alongside IATSE locals at shared venues.
• IATSE Local 22: Sister IATSE local covering Washington DC / Baltimore / Northern Virginia live event workers. Operates a comparable Hiring Hall referral model for stagehands, AV technicians, and projectionists in the Mid-Atlantic region.
• Teamsters Local 25: Teamsters local in Boston covering theatrical and live event drivers and stagehands. Operates a comparable union referral and collective bargaining model for live event workers in an adjacent craft (logistics/transportation for live events).
• IATSE Local 33: Large IATSE local covering Los Angeles live event and theatrical workers. Operates a Hiring Hall with F-list/G-list structure identical to Local 15's, but at substantially greater scale in a much larger entertainment market.
• IATSE Local 87: Sister IATSE local covering the San Francisco Bay Area, representing stagehands, projectionists, and AV technicians through a similar Hiring Hall referral system. Directly comparable in service model, craft mix, and West Coast regional scope.
• IATSE Local 28: Sister IATSE local representing stagehands, AV technicians, and projectionists in Portland, Oregon. Most geographically proximate peer, with nearly identical craft mix (stage technicians, AV, projectionists) and Hiring Hall referral model serving Pacific Northwest live events.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iatse-local-15

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Iatse Local 15