United Scenic Artists, Local USA 829, formerly known as United Scenic Artists of America (USAA), is an American labor union. It is a nationwide autonomous Local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. It organizes designers, artists, and craftspeople in the entertainment and decorative arts industries. The organization was part of International Brotherhood of Painters and Allied Trades, however it reaffiliated with IATSE in 1999. United Scenic Artists was organized to protect craft standards, working conditions and wages for the entertainment and decorative arts industries. The members of Local USA 829 are Artists and Designers working in film, theatre, opera, ballet, television, industrial shows, commercials and exhibitions. The current membership totals nearly 3,800. Local USA 829 establishes wages for designers and artists, and negotiates with employers the best possible terms and conditions of employment, as well as Health Insurance and Retirement benefits through employer contributions of Pension, Welfare, 401(k) and Annuity plans. Local USA 829 currently has many Collective Bargaining Agreements some of which include: National: League of Resident Theatres (LORT) Eastern Region: Broadway, Opera, Ballet, ABC, CBS, NBC; Scenic Suppliers in New York, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Florida; Motion Pictures in New York, New England and Philadelphia; AICP Commercials. Central Region: Scenic Suppliers and theatre and opera Scenic Shops in Chicago and St. Louis; The Court and Victory Gardens Theatres, Chicago Opera Theatre, St. Louis MUNY, CBS, NBC. Western Region: The Ahmanson Theatre, the Los Angeles Opera and the San Francisco Opera; The Marin Theatre Company and The Magic Theatre; Seattle Children's Theatre. History The union of Scenic Artists was founded in 1897 under the title "the United Scenic Artists Association", which was briefly a local of the IATSE. Eventually the AFL–CIO ruled that the local must leave the IATSE and join the painters union. The organization instead chose to be independent. This lasted until 1918 when jurisdictional encroachment forced an affiliation with the IBPAT. However, the Brotherhood was guaranteed complete autonomy in its historical and traditional jurisdiction. On June 21, 1918, at their regular meeting at Geneva Hall in New York City, the Scenic Artists voted to accept a charter as United Scenic Artists of America (hence the USAA still seen in the union’s logo) being Local 829, an autonomous local of the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paper Hangers of America. From that time on, Local 829 grew to include Scenic, Costume and Lighting Designers, Mural and