Three major unions representing Southern California entertainment workers welcomed President Donald Trump’s call for a federal production incentive aimed at stemming the loss of film and television jobs to foreign countries, signaling a rare point of agreement between Hollywood labor and the Trump administration.
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, SAG-AFTRA, and Teamsters Local 399 issued statements on September 1 urging Congress to act on Trump’s endorsement, which the president announced on Truth Social. Trump called on Congress to approve a federal production incentive immediately, saying that what Americans watch on the silver screen should be made in what was once the movie capital of the world.
SAG-AFTRA President Sean Astin and National Executive Director Duncan Crabtree-Ireland said Trump’s vocal and determined leadership in calling for federal production incentives was exactly what the entertainment industry needs. They also credited union member Jon Voight, whom Trump appointed as a special ambassador to Hollywood, for advocating for increased domestic production.
IATSE said Trump’s endorsement adds momentum to a years-long push for a federal incentive, calling it a necessary tool to level the playing field with countries that have aggressively attracted production through generous, often permanent incentive programs. The union said it was the first U.S. labor organization to call for a federal incentive to strengthen domestic production.
The push comes as California has struggled to retain film and television production amid competition from other states and countries offering more competitive incentives and lower labor costs. The state expanded its own Film and Television Tax Credit Program from $330 million to $750 million annually beginning with the 2025-26 fiscal year, running through 2029-30.
However, California’s Legislative Analyst’s Office has said the state faces growing competition from other jurisdictions. Production has also been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Hollywood strikes, and the rise of artificial intelligence technologies that are changing how content is created.
Senator Adam Schiff, Democrat of California, called on Congress to immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive, saying it could help return jobs that have moved overseas. Trump did not specify the size or structure of the incentive but said bipartisan meetings with congressional leaders were being arranged.
For Los Angeles, where the entertainment industry supports hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs, a federal incentive could provide meaningful relief for production crews, support businesses, and the regional economy that depends on film and television spending.
Sources: Los Angeles Daily News, LA Daily News Production Data.
