MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Q&A: MICHAEL BILLINGS ENCOUARGES MEMBERS TO RUN IN 2025 UNION ELECTIONS

Want to help the BC film community and fellow film workers thrive? Welcome to another 891 election season! Nominations open August 21st for the upcoming 2025 Union Elections. Union members will soon have a chance to nominate themselves or fellow members for six leadership positions on the 891 Executive Board, the Senior Steward position, and two Health Trustee positions — all crucial roles that shape your Union's priorities and advocacy for workers. Thinking about running as a candidate for a position up for election? Wondering what kind of impact elected officers and officials can have on working conditions in BC’s film community? In this Spotlight Q&A, long-time Executive Board member and 891 Sergeant-at-Arms Michael Billings provides some answers on the importance of running for Union leadership positions that empower members to make positive changes to workplaces across BC.

1. HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WORKING IN THE MOTION PICTURE INDUSTRY? 

I am a second-generation IATSE member. My Uncle George was a projectionist in Kingston, Ontario. I spent many evenings and weekends sitting between the film projectors in the booth at the back of the theatre. He would have occasional visitors to that booth, that would sit with him and eat popcorn, while he spliced trailers and loaded the reels. Actors, such as Dan Aykroyd and John Candy, would drop in to sit in the back of the theatre and enjoy their colleagues’ work. So movies just became a thing in my blood.

Then, a few years later, when I was 15 years old, I participated in a US network mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain. They were filming in Montreal. I assisted in fabricating a piece of set dressing that needed to look like a ship part but be light enough to fall on an actor’s leg and cause no harm. I then became part of the SPFX crew one evening when they needed assistance creating a wind and rainstorm on a sailing ship. It was all I needed to experience to know this was the career I was interested in.

Years later, when I moved to Vancouver, I was standing in the catering line at lunch when I realized that the Props Master had been the very same Construction Coordinator I had worked with in Montreal years before!

2. WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A UNION MEMBER & THE WORK YOU GET TO DO IN THIS INDUSTRY?

I love my work. I love the professionals that I am surrounded by each day. They are a dedicated bunch that you can spend way more time within a week than you do with your family. I love the way the 19 skills-based craft departments can co-exist with the performers and other union members to create the movie magic! Being a union member means you’re not alone — you are part of a movement that brings fairness, protection, and better pay and benefits for all!

3. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO RUN, AND RUN REPEATEDLY, FOR A SEAT ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD?

I really like helping members. I have an educational background. When I found my way to Vancouver and the thriving industry here, I immediately took the skills training offered by the Union, and once becoming a full member, started to attend departmental meetings. I soon became a Co-Chair of the Set Decorating Department, after being mentored by two very empowering Union sisters: Set Decorators Lin MacDonald and Elizabeth Wilcox. I then began committee work, followed by an appointment to the Executive Board (also known as the E-Board). After one year on the E-Board, I ran and was elected to continue to be the Sergeant-at-Arms. It’s a position I have held since 2015.

It is empowering to help make a change to workplaces and practices for fellow professionals. Board members can serve as a bridge between the administration and the members. A good board member listens to the members and brings those concerns to the Board, ensuring that decisions reflect the needs of the broader membership. Increasing member services is so important, and I thrive on making a better life for all film workers.

4. WHAT KIND OF IMPACT CAN AN 891 MEMBER HAVE BY BEING PART OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD? 

You can really make a difference; shaping not only the day-to-day operations but also the long-term direction and strength of the organization. You can help maintain this thriving industry and help it grow. As part of the 50th and then 60th Anniversary Committee, I saw the work that members before me did to grow our industry in the province. I wanted to continue to add to this growth, and help chart a course for our future.

5. WHAT IS ONE THING THAT YOU ARE MOST PROUD OF FROM YOUR TIME SERVING ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD?

I am proud of participating in Master Agreement negotiations, which is what I might consider the most important part of my time on the Executive Board. I have completed two full contract negotiations, that have brought a combined total of a 32% raise in wages to 891 members.

6. WHY IS IT IMPORTANT FOR UNION MEMBERS TO GET INVOLVED IN THEIR UNION?

The age-old saying has stuck because it carries some truth. The phrase: "Ask not what your union can do for you, ask what you can do for your union". Union members getting involved in their union is essential for several reasons — both to strengthen the union itself and to ensure members voices are heard and their needs are met.

Unions are only as strong as their membership. When more members actively participate – by attending meetings, voting, or joining committees – it increases the union’s bargaining power with the employers. Active members help demonstrate unity, which can lead to better contract wages and working conditions.