Election Bio

Samantha Rice is proud to stand as your candidate for NABET President. A dedicated member for over 12 years, Sam brings proven leadership and deep union experience, having served on the Executive Board as VP Costumes and Senior Vice-President. As SVP, Sam has stepped in to carry out the responsibilities of the President’s office—while still working on the floor and staying connected to the membership.

Sam brings a collaborative and communicative approach to governance, with a strong focus on accountability and long-term sustainability. By working closely with the NABET office and Executive Board, she has developed 20 new and updated policies over the past two years to promote clarity, fairness, and streamlined operations.

In her role as SVP, Sam has served as an experienced meeting chair and overseen the day-to-day business of the NABET office. Her work and responsibilities are fully detailed in the report presented at the December 2025 General Meeting.

Sam serves as NABET’s lead member representative at industry networking events, including the CMPA Prime Time Conference, the CFC Gala, TIFF, and many industry awards ceremonies. Her strong relationships with producers and ability to effectively promote NABET have made her a trusted and respected representative of the union.

A strong advocate for workforce development through education and mentorship, Sam runs NABET’s Reelworld Mentorship Program, wrote NABET’s Costume Handbook, teaches NABETiquette and represents NABET at countless outreach events and panels.  She is also a proud champion of NABET’s Apprenticeship Program, mentoring an apprentice whenever possible to help grow the next generation of technicians.

Sam has been honoured to serve as NABET’s SVP, VP Costumes, and BIWOC Committee Chair, and is a proud contributor to many committees: Bargaining, Financial, Bylaws, Retirement Policy, Workers with Disabilities, Women’s, and Education.  As a direct result of her work during bargaining in 2021, the Costume Department won major wage increases, and NABET’s groundbreaking EDI Crew Representative position was created. As SVP, Sam continues to liaise with the CMPA as part of the joint EDI, GAI and SPFX Committees that form part of the Collective Agreement and ensures an ongoing dialogue on those important subjects. 

A firm believer that an engaged membership is the backbone of a strong union, Sam is always available to support NABET Committee initiatives. She is currently working on NABET's Membership Survey initiative in partnership with York University, a BIWOC Committee project with full funding from the federal government through SSHRC.

Committed to expanding her skillset as a NABET representative, Sam has completed the following training:

• NABET EDI Representative Training Course

• NABET Women’s Representative Training Course

• WIFT+ Intro to Entertainment Law

• Unifor Intro to Collective Bargaining

• Unifor Anti Harassment

• Unifor Local Executive Board Training

• Queen’s University Workplace Mental Health Leadership