Local 40’s Starbird Steps Up as Shop Steward at Fox Studios 

New IBEW 40 Fox Studios Shop Steward Brad Starbird is not one to become starstruck. His work as steward and production electric worker at Fox may place him squarely in the entertainment spotlight, but he finds the job fulfilling for reasons entirely unrelated to the glamor of Tinseltown.

“It’s very fast-paced with how things can change,” Starbird said. “That’s actually kind of fun. You have to think on your feet and get everything going.”

The electrical shop sets up base camps and handles the electrical side of production, including anything needed to run power off the stages. 

Starbird, a San Pedro native who also spent part of his youth in Willow River, Minnesota, is especially enthusiastic about having the opportunity to give even more back to the union in his new position. Starbird took the steward training class twice and said he was excited about the opportunity to step up and take on the challenge of his new role when asked to serve. 

“I’m grateful to this union for the position they have put me in, for being able to support my family and my livelihood through everything, for all of the opportunities,” Starbird said. “I know plenty of people who have been struggling for many years. I’m fortunate to not be one of them.”

In his earlier years, the always mechanically inclined Starbird worked on cars for 10 years before realizing that career path wouldn’t pay the bills. With some construction experience under his belt from his time in Minnesota, he began working construction under NECA’s jurisdiction. Starbird found himself bouncing around from project to project, including a high rise at Universal and that same studio’s Super Nintendo World.

But fate and family had other career plans. His father-in-law, a retired member of IBEW 11, had long encouraged Starbird to pursue a career as a unionized electrician. Starbird was quickly sold on the idea.

“I saw what he was able to provide, how well he was able to take care of both his daughters and his wife,” said Starbird who along with his wife, Lauren, are parents to an eight-year-old son.  “He gave them all very good lives. That’s what I want to do.” 

Interviewed just a few days after his steward duties began, Starbird acknowledged that it’s still a little early to get too deeply into specific concerns shared by his union Brothers and Sisters. One common goal, though, is building and preserving unity.

The nearly 30 Local 40 workers at Fox are divided between three shops – HVAC, maintenance, and production. As steward, Starbird hopes to be a unifying force between all three. 

“I would like to try to bring them together and work as a team and to be there for the guys and girls of IBEW as much as possible,” Starbird said.