The Business Representative position is a complex, real-world responsibility that has a lot of moving parts. It demands experience, stamina, and a steady hand. You canʻt bluff your way through it, and you canʻt fake the work. It requires discipline, presence, judgment and the courage to stand firm when it matters most. 

I answer every call, every text, and every email – even outside of office hours – because I know exactly who put me here.

Experience That Delivers
As a former military officer, I have experience managing large systems and high stakes. Iʻve carried that mindset into every job Iʻve held in this industry – IATSE crafts like best boy grip, production manager, locations manager and transportation captain.

In each of these roles, Iʻve had to anticipate problems, plan ahead and protect the crew. Thatʻs the same mindset I bring to Local 665 every day:

• Be decisive and anticipate issues before they blow up.
• Protect members before they are put at risk.
• Keep productions running without sacrificing our people.

Organizing: Wins, Losses and the Work Ahead

Union organizing is not a one-time event. Itʻs constant, deliberate, disciplined work.

Iʻve organized work for our generator and video assist operators on set, bringing more work opportunities under Local 665 protections.

We also pushed hard to organize the Maui Arts & Cultural Center (MACC). We lost by just three votes, but we are not done, and they are still on our radar. We were thrilled to bring in three new, highly-skilled Maui members from that experience.

We didnʻt win that election, but we took a swing at it, learned, built relationships, and we will keep trying.

I find organizing exhilarating because it is so different from the other work I do. I am confident that with a united board, and a president committed to the same goals, we can work together to organize this town and bring more employers to the table and more workers into our unionʻs ʻohana.

A Strong Local Needs a Strong Team

Our local is only as strong as the team that steers it. Adding and funding another full-time officer was meant to strengthen our local, to make it go faster and farther. Instead, there has been a lack of teamwork which has slowed the localʻs progress.

• A team paddling a canoe in different directions goes nowhere. 
• A team united, aligned and committed can cross oceans. 

Thatʻs the future I am fighting for: a local that moves together with purpose, clarity and strength.

Steady Leadership Through Real Challenges

For three terms, you have trusted me to protect your rights, defend our livelihoods, and represent your interests with integrity. I continue to stand on the front line of ongoing legal, legislative and anti-union challenges – both from outside and within. Iʻve never backed down, and I never will. The pandemic in 2020 – 2021 kept crowds from gathering for live events, the industry strikes in 2023, venue renovations and a contraction of the film industry has made this last term the most difficult.

The Executive Board We Deserve

A vote for me will immediately restore peace at the union hall, regardless of who is president or secretary-treasurer. 

An executive board that has the membersʻ well-being at heart will be unstoppable. 

Iʻve been on the board since 2011 as a member-at-large, Vice President, President and now Business Representative, so I know what a fully-functioning and respectful board looks like. During that time, we bought a building we can meet and train in, implemented a dispatch program so calls are spread wide and more fairly, have an online availability list, and many other improvements, and here we are at the doorstep of a radical future.

Why Iʻm Asking for Your Vote
I’m ready for another term. I have not stopped pushing, building and fighting for our amazing local. With the right board, we can: 

• Organize new employers and bring more work under union contracts.
• Win back and support employers we lost during the pandemic. 
• Grow our strength in every shop and on every set.

I am running for re-election because there’s more to do, and I want to continue building a stronger, safer, and more connected Local 665 for all of us.

I Ka Lōkahi, 

Irish Barber – IATSE Local 665 Business Representative. Jurisdiction: The Hawaiian Islands

(In the photo with me is Nathan Cox, the former President of Local 675 in Eugene, Oregon. He and his fiance, Rose Etta Veneducci (BA of Local 28), were in my Officer Institute 1.0 course in 2014, and we have been steady friends ever since.)