Hollywood’s Largest Crew Union Endorses Tom Steyer for California Governor, Citing Commitment to Keep Production in LA

When IATSE announced its endorsement of Tom Steyer for California governor this week, the ripple effects extended far beyond Hollywood soundstages and into communities where film and TV production shapes local economies. For residents of Burbank, California—a city synonymous with the entertainment industry—the endorsement represents more than political theater; it signals potential shifts in job security, infrastructure investment, and the future of creative perform in the San Fernando Valley. As someone who has spent years analyzing how national policy trends manifest at the neighborhood level, I see this moment as a critical inflection point for a community where media production isn’t just an industry—it’s woven into the fabric of daily life along streets like Olive Avenue and San Fernando Boulevard.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees’ decision carries particular weight in Burbank, home to Warner Bros. Studios and Disney’s main campus, where thousands of IATSE members work as grips, electricians, costume designers, and post-production technicians. Steyer’s platform, which the union highlighted in its announcement, centers on expanding California’s film and TV tax credit program—a policy directly impacting whether productions choose to film locally or relocate to states with more aggressive incentives. This isn’t abstract policy debate for Burbank residents; when productions leave, the effects cascade through local businesses from coffee shops near Magnolia Boulevard to housing markets in neighborhoods like the Media District. Historical context shows California’s competitive position has fluctuated significantly; after peaking in the early 2000s, the state lost ground to Georgia and New Mexico before recent incentive renewals helped stabilize some sectors—a cycle Steyer aims to break with more sustained investment.

Beyond immediate production concerns, Steyer’s proposed policies touch on deeper structural issues affecting Burbank’s creative workforce. His advocacy for taxing AI computations to fund worker retraining addresses anxieties shared by IATSE members about how generative AI might disrupt traditional roles in animation, visual effects, and editing—fields where Burbank hosts specialized studios and training programs. Similarly, his criticism of recent studio mergers (including Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery) resonates in a city where consolidation has already led to departmental reorganizations and shifting employment patterns. The California Teachers Association’s concurrent endorsement, noted in search results, adds another layer: Burbank Unified School District serves many entertainment industry families, making Steyer’s stance on public education funding and opposition to school-choice policies directly relevant to household decisions about where to live and how to plan for children’s futures.

These macro-level developments create tangible micro-level considerations for Burbank residents navigating career stability, housing costs, and community resources. For those employed in or adjacent to the entertainment sector, understanding how state-level incentives influence local production pipelines isn’t just academic—it affects overtime availability, union contract negotiations, and the viability of freelance careers. Meanwhile, ancillary businesses reliant on industry spending—from catering companies on Empire Avenue to equipment rental houses near Burbank Airport—face revenue volatility tied to production cycles. Even residents not directly employed in media feel impacts through property tax assessments influenced by studio valuations and community character shaped by industry workforce demographics.

Given my background in analyzing how entertainment industry policies translate to local economic outcomes, if this trend impacts you in Burbank, here are three types of local professionals you need to understand:

• Entertainment Industry Economists: Seek professionals who specialize in modeling how state tax credit changes affect regional employment multipliers—not just theorists, but those with demonstrated experience analyzing California’s film incentive programs and their specific impacts on Los Angeles County submarkets like the San Fernando Valley. They should provide concrete scenarios showing how different credit structures might alter production days, hiring patterns, and ancillary service demand in Burbank-specific contexts.
• Workforce Transition Specialists: Look for career advisors or retraining program coordinators with direct ties to entertainment industry unions and studios, particularly those experienced in helping workers adapt to technological shifts like AI integration. The best providers will have existing relationships with IATSE locals, Burbank-based training institutions (such as those at Los Angeles Valley College’s media arts department), and awareness of emerging skill gaps in post-production and virtual production workflows.
• Municipal Revenue Analysts: Find experts who understand how entertainment industry fluctuations affect Burbank’s specific revenue streams—beyond simplistic “jobs equals taxes” calculations. Ideal candidates will dissect how production volatility influences transient occupancy taxes from crew housing, sales tax generation at local vendors, and property tax assessments tied to studio-owned properties along corridors like Victory Boulevard and Burbank Boulevard.

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