Natalie Robin’s Candidate Statement

My name is Natalie Robin (she/her), and I am a Philadelphia-based lighting designer running for Eastern Region Secretary/Treasurer. Before Philadelphia, I lived and worked in NYC. I am now the head of the Theater Design & Technology BFA at the University of the Arts. With experience as both a producer and production manager, I am deeply invested in communication, inclusivity and organization, which are integral to the role of Secretary/Treasurer.

When I left NY, I felt unable to participate in USA 829. Access to meeting minutes and the meetings themselves assumes access to midtown Manhattan. Yes, it’s possible for me to take Amtrak to the union office or to an Eastern Region meeting, but it requires 6 hours and $100. And what about our kin who are farther away, in Maine, Atlanta or San Juan? Our region is more than Manhattan. 

I am not alone in believing that we, as a union, can do better. We need to prioritize open communication, transparency and access to information to ensure that the union is accessible and inclusive for EVERYONE - BIPOC members, disabled members, caregivers, assistants, non-New Yorkers. Now is an opportunity for the Eastern Regional Board to work with the LUEB and the other regional boards to streamline communication between the union members and leadership. We must revisit the way that information is shared, in minutes, in newsletters, through social media, to communicate with everyone. The pandemic and subsequent Zoom meetings have made that more possible, and this necessity more clear. We must take advantage of 21st-century technology to make communication more inclusive, even once we can meet in person. 

The pandemic is disproportionately affecting those of us in entertainment: Some of our MOPIC members are being asked to go to work before there is a vaccine. Many of our theater members will be out of work for the foreseeable future. Dialogue between union members and leadership is the only way to prioritize what members need and care about. Transparent communication and access to meetings will ensure that this dialogue exists. 

We also need to expand member outreach to underrepresented members of our industry, and continue to support those new members through mentorship, engagement and communication, while being mindful of intersecting identities and compounded needs. A healthy union must make a commitment towards greater inclusion and anti-racism to address the needs of all its members. As a board member, I hope to work closely with those committees already doing this work, including the Respectful Workplace Taskforce,  New Member Orientation Committee and the Diversity Committee.

The current administration is vocally anti-union. The more engaged and invested our membership is, the stronger we will be. And we need to be strong to best support ALL of our current and future kin. This election year presents an opportunity to include new voices, new perspectives and new viewpoints into the union leadership. Together, we can become the union we want to be in the future, not only the one we were in the past.