In the 20th century, we fought for the contract. Today, we fight to keep what we’ve already earned. Because if your paycheck buys less every year, that’s not economics, it’s theft. Inflation is the enemy of working people. And the future of labor is making sure your time, your sweat, and your sacrifice don’t evaporate. I don’t just fight for wages, I fight to protect the value of your labor. That’s who I am.

David Thomas Graves

I swear this to every member of IATSE Local 728:

I will never hide the truth from you.
Not to protect politics. Not to protect power. Not to protect myself. I will speak plainly, act boldly, and lead with open hands.

Your dues are sacred.
Every dollar you give this union is a piece of your labor, your time, and your sacrifice. I will treat it with the same respect I demand for your work on set.

I will not stand by in silence.
When something is broken, I will call it out. When you're being ignored, I will make noise. When the system fails you, I will stand between you and that failure.

I do not serve a title, I serve you.
Every electrician, every rigging gaffer, every member who wakes up before sunrise and gives their craft everything they have—you are who I answer to. And I will never forget it.

This isn’t politics. This is a promise.

To protect your future. To honor your labor. To fight like hell for your voice.
Not just today, but every day I have the privilege to serve.

In Solidarity
David Thomas Graves