By Scott George, National Executive Director
Let me begin by saying how honored I am to serve as your new National Executive Director. We are entering a critical moment for our union, one that demands strength, focus, and unity. The challenges ahead are real, but so is our capacity to meet them — together.
I’ve seen that resilience firsthand in the past few weeks as our Guild has mobilized to support members affected by the devastating California fires. Working alongside our International, Hollywood locals, Teamsters, and basic crafts, we’ve helped provide emergency aid, housing resources, and financial relief to those who lost homes or were displaced. True, no amount of relief can completely restore those who lost everything in the disaster. The outpouring of support from fellow members has been nothing short of inspiring. This is what solidarity looks like. For many of our members, rebuilding will be a long road, and we want to be there for them when they need us.
The fires are just one of many crises our industry has faced in recent years. We’ve endured COVID shutdowns, work stoppages, a shrinking job market, the offshoring of work, and now, the rise of Artificial Intelligence — technology that has the potential to reshape our industry, possibly in threatening ways. In tough times like these, it’s easy to feel like we’re always playing defense, reacting to the latest threat rather than shaping our own future. That must change.
Now is the time to go on the offensive. That means refocusing on the core priorities that make unions strong:
— Negotiating the best possible contracts.
— Aggressively enforcing every provision in those contracts.
— Organizing non-union work.
— Leading the way on AI to ensure our members are trained in new technologies rather than replaced by them. These are not abstract goals.
They are the foundation of real job security and fair compensation. And they require all of us — leadership, staff, and rank-and-file members — to be fully engaged.
We also need to think big. Our industry is evolving, and so must we. That means organizing to expand the reach of Guild contracts, making sure employees throughout postproduction have a voice on the job. It means fighting for policy changes that benefit our members, whether in the workplace or in legislative halls. It means cultivating union leadership so that every member is engaged in the work of our Guild.
None of this will be possible without you. A union’s strength doesn’t come from a title or an office. It comes from its members speaking up and taking action. It comes from its members understanding that their needs and welfare are bound up in the shared needs and welfare of all our union kin. It comes from our forging a unified front in the face of the challenges before us. It comes from, in a word, solidarity.
We must all embrace that spirit. Engagement doesn’t just mean showing up for a vote every few years. It means staying informed, getting involved in local meetings, supporting organizing campaigns, and holding employers accountable. Most important, it means looking out for your union kin as you’d want your union kin looking out for you. When we fight together, we win together.
As I step into this role, I do so with deep gratitude for my predecessor, Cathy Repola. I have been honored to work alongside Cathy for many years, and her example of compassion and generosity of spirit have been an inspiration to us all. Our union is stronger today because of her leadership. I am committed to building upon that legacy.
I won’t pretend the road ahead will be easy. There will be setbacks. There will be fights that test our resolve. But these are all fights worth having. This is how we secure a better future — not just for ourselves but for the generations of workers who come after us.
I look forward to working with all of you in the months and years ahead.
