My name is Joey Wilkinson. I am running for Sergeant At Arms to ensure that the business of Local 479 is conducted with integrity and fairness, and to promote a culture of member involvement in the direction of our local.

Fair and Trustworthy Meetings

The Sergeant At Arms holds a vital role in maintaining the integrity of our local. My primary focus will be on the constitutional duty of the office: to ensure that only members in good standing may vote at General Membership Meetings.

This role is especially crucial with our hybrid meeting format. I will dedicate myself to a system that makes the voting process fair, accurate, and trustworthy for all. I will work closely with our office staff, both at the in-person sign-in table and those tasked with Zoom meeting moderation, to ensure accountability in our process.

Fostering Accountable Member Involvement

The integrity of our voting and meeting procedures is the bedrock of a democratic, member-led union. When members know the rules are enforced fairly and accurately, they are encouraged to participate and hold their leadership accountable. The SAA role is vital to this process and crucial for getting rank-and-file members involved in conducting the business of our local.

Beyond meeting duties, the SAA is a voting member of the Executive Board. In this capacity, I will always work to represent the interests of the rank and file members of Local 479. As elected representatives, the Executive Board has a duty to act in service of the members who elected us. I will uphold that duty.

Serving the Membership on the Executive Board

  • Union Service: In addition to regular attendance at general membership meetings, I have served as a delegate to two District 7 conventions on behalf of Local 479 and attended the 2023 state AFL-CIO convention as an observer.

  • Rank-and-File Organizing: I served as a member of the organizing committee of the Caucus of Rank-and-File Entertainment Workers (CREW) in 2023 and attended Labor Notes 2024 as part of the CREW delegation.

  • Solidarity: I have worked in solidarity with the broader labor movement by supporting organizing efforts at Amazon, Starbucks, and Delta, and by supporting pro-labor candidate Kelsea Bond in their bid for a seat on the Atlanta City Council.

Dedication to the cause of Labor

My work inside and outside of Local 479 demonstratesmy deep commitment to our membership and the broader labor movement:

About me

I have been a member of IATSE Local 479 since December 2016. Since 2021, I have worked regularly as a first-unit electrician and DMX technician, with credits on five seasons of episodic programming, five feature films, and as a day player on a dozen other productions. Prior to that, I worked for five years managing a camera and lighting rental inventory and spent one grueling year as an assistant locations manager and location scout for Swirl Films. Since the beginning of 2024, I have co-owned 800 East Studios, a professional music and sound recording studio, with my wife, my brother-in-law, and our close family friend.

I hold a degree in multimedia journalism from Western Kentucky University and a motion picture technician certification from Clayton State University. I have worked in the communications and entertainment industry for my entire professional life.

My commitment to the organized working class is generational: I am a third-generation union member, the son of a CWA switchboard operator at AT&T and the grandson of a union appliance assembly line mechanic for General Electric. I firmly believe that an organized and empowered working class is critical to a healthy democratic society, and as a worker, I have an obligation to help make that a reality. I have also served on the executive boards of the Laurel Ridge Springbrook Community Association, the PTA at my children’s elementary school, as a volunteer for precinct organizing projects with the Fulton County and the DeKalb County Democrats, and on the board of directors for SoPo, a non-profit bicycle cooperative workshop in Atlanta.

I have been married to my wife, Lindsay, for 17 years. Together, we have raised three wonderful children and two pretty good dogs. When I am not on set or taking care of the kids, I am probably riding or working on a bicycle, or trying to figure out what species of bird that is over there. I am a native of Louisville, Kentucky and I have called the Atlanta area home since 2011. I live in north Decatur.