Affiliated Property Craftspersons (IATSE Local 44)

Overview

The Affiliated Property Craftspersons, operating as IATSE Local 44, is the union representing prop masters, assistant prop masters, set dressers, lead set dressers, upholsterers, greens department workers, and other property department craftspeople in motion pictures and television. Founded in 1939 and headquartered at 12021 Riverside Drive in North Hollywood, CA, Local 44 serves over 6,000 members. The initiation fee for the Property craft is approximately $7,400, varying by craft and based on the hourly rate of that particular craft. If you are budgeting an art department for a union production, Local 44 costs (prop master, set dressers, greens) represent a significant line item that is often underestimated by producers focused primarily on camera and lighting budgets.

Local 44 is affiliated with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada (IATSE). All IATSE affiliates, including Local 44, operate under the IATSE Basic Agreement, which is renegotiated on a multi-year cycle and covers wages, safety requirements, mandated breaks, holidays, healthcare benefits, and pension contributions.

Jurisdiction and Departments

Local 44's jurisdiction covers several distinct but related departments within the art department:

Prop Master vs. Set Dresser: The Key Distinction

The functional distinction between the props department and the set dressing department is one of the most frequently misunderstood aspects of art department organization. Props are objects that actors touch or interact with: a gun, a briefcase, a coffee cup in an actor's hand. Set dressing is everything else in the visual environment that the camera sees but actors do not directly handle. The same object can shift between props and set dressing depending on whether a performer touches it in a given scene.

This distinction matters for budgeting, scheduling, and departmental responsibility:

• The prop master (Local 44) sources, preps, and tracks all actor-interactive objects across every scene
• The set decorator (Local 800, Art Directors Guild) designs and approves the set dressing concept
• The lead set dresser (Local 44) executes the set dressing on set under the set decorator's direction

If you are a first-time producer, understanding this division prevents budget gaps. The prop master's budget covers actor-interactive objects. The set decorator's budget covers set dressing. Both require Local 44 labor to execute on set, but the budget lines are separate.

Membership: Qualifications and Costs

How to Join

There are two paths to Local 44 membership:

Both paths require registration with the Contract Services Administration Trust Fund (CSATF), which maintains the Industry Experience Roster (IER). The IER is a database that tracks individuals' work experience and qualifications for IATSE local affiliations. You must submit your work time to CSATF to be placed on the Roster before you can join Local 44.

Initiation Fees

Initiation fees vary by craft and are based on the hourly rate of that particular craft. The Property craft initiation fee is approximately $7,400. Other crafts within Local 44 may have different fee structures. New members are sworn in at craft meetings and receive a Local 44 membership card.

Dues and Good Standing

Dues are paid quarterly, with payments due by the first day of January, April, July, and October. Members who fail to pay dues by the due date lose good standing status and become delinquent. A delinquent member who continues to be overdue into the following quarter (90+ days late) becomes suspended.

Suspended and delinquent members lose the right to:

• Attend or participate in Local 44 meetings and events
• Vote on membership issues, contracts, and elections
• Run for Local 44 office
• Maintain their place on the out-of-work list (Callboard)
• Work under Local 44's contractual jurisdictions

Members can pay dues electronically through the Local 44 website.

Scale and Production Requirements

Local 44 is one of the larger IATSE locals by membership count, reflecting the substantial property department workforce required on studio and major independent productions. Even modest productions require a prop master and at minimum a small set dressing team. Large studio productions may employ dozens of property craftspeople across multiple simultaneous shooting units.

The Local maintains a roster that producers can draw on when staffing property departments. For period and genre productions, the prop master's sourcing skills and vendor relationships are particularly important. Finding accurate period props within budget constraints requires market knowledge and established supplier relationships that experienced Local 44 prop masters have built over careers.

What Filmmakers Should Know

For Producers Budgeting Art Department Costs

Local 44 costs include both labor (prop master, set dressers, greens) and materials (the props and set dressing themselves, which are separate from the labor budget). Both must be planned carefully. The physical world of a production is built by these craftspeople, and their rates plus the budget for the physical objects they manage represent a significant portion of the art department budget.

For Non-Union Productions Considering Going Union

If your non-union production "flips" to union (becomes an IATSE signatory production), crew members who have worked 30 days on the production prior to the organizing effort may be eligible to join Local 44. It is important that crew members save every check stub and remind payroll companies to report their days to CSATF, as those days are required for the Local 44 application. Without CSATF registration, days worked cannot be counted toward membership qualification.

Training and Apprenticeship

Local 44 maintains training and apprenticeship programs that provide pathways into the props and set dressing professions. The Local also organizes craft meetings where members discuss department-specific issues, safety protocols, and industry developments. Meetings are held at the Local 44 hall in North Hollywood.

Industry Challenges

Local 44, like all IATSE locals, has faced significant challenges in recent years: the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, the subsequent work slowdown, and the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. The Local's leadership has emphasized transparency on finances, membership numbers, and future plans, with presentations at General Membership Meetings addressing member questions directly.

See Also

For the set decorator who directs the set dressing work executed by Local 44, see Set Decorators Society of America (SDSA) in this directory. For the art director and production designer supervising the full art department, see Art Directors Guild (IATSE Local 800) in this directory. To estimate art department labor costs for a production, use the Indie Film Budget Calculator. For membership information, dues payment, and craft meeting schedules, visit local44.org.