INVESTIGATION IV: UNION BUSTER
He Told Hollywood to Respect Unions. Then He Busted His Own.
Swalwell co-signed a letter urging studios to return production to Los Angeles. His own crew voted to unionize. He refused to recognize them. They went on strike. His second film was shot outside of California entirely in Latvia.
KEY FACTS:
Swalwell is an Executive Producer on The Gun on Second Street, a film shot in Wheeling, West Virginia — a right-to-work state. The crew voted to unionize with IATSE. The producers, including Swalwell, refused to recognize the union. Workers went on strike December 18, 2025.
A December 2024 casting call for the film explicitly sought "NON UNION SUBMISSIONS" at a flat $10,000 rate for five to seven weeks of work — below IATSE scale. The language is in writing.
Swalwell is also an Executive Producer on Words of War. The film was shot entirely in Riga, Latvia, bypassing American IATSE crews. Latvia offers foreign productions cash rebates of 20–30% on eligible production costs.
In April 2025, Swalwell co-signed a letter with IATSE and SAG-AFTRA calling on studios to "return production to Los Angeles" and recommit to American jobs. His own productions were filming in West Virginia and Latvia at the time.
In October 2021, over 100 members of Congress signed a letter urging Hollywood studios to negotiate a fair IATSE contract. Swalwell did not sign.
THE TAKEAWAY:
The congressman who told Hollywood studios to respect their union workers refused to recognize the union on his own film, broke a strike, and shot his other movie in Latvia to avoid American crews entirely.
SOURCES:- IATSE strike notice, December 18, 2025- Casting call documentation, The Gun on Second Street, December 2024