Duncan Crabtree-Ireland

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland is the National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator of SAG-AFTRA. In this capacity, he oversees the world’s largest and most influential entertainment union, comprised of more than 160,000 members worldwide who work in film, television, broadcast news, commercials, music, video games and more.

Crabtree-Ireland has played a critical role in many of SAG-AFTRA’s signature achievements over the past two decades, both in his current role and prior to that, as longtime chief operating officer and general counsel. He was a key participant in the successful merger between SAG and AFTRA, and has been the principal architect of SAG-AFTRA’s successful COVID safety response and return-to-work initiatives. Crabtree-Ireland is a strategic and creative lead negotiator, and has personally led or overseen negotiations for SAG-AFTRA’s Netflix Agreement and its Videogames, Commercials, Music and Network Television contracts, among others.

Crabtree-Ireland leads the union’s technology and innovation team. In collaboration with member leaders and staff members, the team has brought unique products and services to membership, including the Member Mobile App, Sexual Harassment Reporting App, direct deposit of residuals, the Labor Innovation and Technology Summit and other useful applications of technology. He is also the co-host of the SAG-AFTRA Podcast and the SAG-AFTRA Podcast en Español.

Crabtree-Ireland formerly served as a criminal prosecutor for the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and has received numerous awards for his work and service throughout his career, including the Peggy Browning Award, the Los Angeles County Bar Association’s Samuel L. Williams Outstanding Trustee Award, and the Co-President’s Award from the Los Angeles LGBTQ+ Bar Association. In 2019, he received the SAG-AFTRA George Heller Memorial Award for extraordinary service to SAG-AFTRA and its members.

Crabtree-Ireland received his Bachelor of Science degree in foreign service with a concentration in international relations, law, and organization from Georgetown University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Davis, School of Law, where he was inducted into the Order of Barristers.