Training local union officers and leaders is a growing focus for the International and was a hot topic at Convention. On Sunday afternoon – just before the official start of the convention proceedings – the International held a plenary training session run by Thomas Krieger, provost, and Elise Bryant, a faculty member, of the National Labor College (formerly known as the George Meany Center for Labor Studies.)

Provost Krieger discussed some of the programs at NLC including a new faculty member who comes from the IA and the ongoing development of an entertainment industry focused curriculum. Classes and degree programs are available on campus as well as online and a combination of the two. Our own Local 784 Secretary/Treasurer Andréa Pelous is currently enrolled in an online degree program and has received a scholarship to NLC and an intensified mentoring program sponsored by Union Plus and the AFL-CIO.

Professor Bryant’s presentation was focused on internal organizing and growth. For a union local to be strong and have the ability to help its membership, the union must organize. If a union doesn’t control the labor market by brining the workforce into membership, there will always be a non-union workforce willing to do the job at below market wages with unfair or unsafe working conditions and no health or retirement benefits. But if members call in their jobs – both union and non-union – and the local actively organizes the unorganized, then the labor market becomes saturated with union workers and the nonunion labor force dries up.

The Wardrobe and Stagecraft Caucuses also stressed education. The Wardrobe Caucus was titled “Law and Order”. International Legal Counsel Samantha Dulaney made a presentation on the law and how it affects unions. Following was a presentation by International Representative Joann Sanders effective parliamentary procedures and agendas designed to help officers learn how to run efficient and effective meetings.

Following the Law & Order presentations, International Representative Pat White asked delegates and officers from various wardrobe locals to speak about their experiences. We heard about a local that has just started negotiating health benefits into their agreements and another local that has just gotten an agreement with SMG, although their experience with that employer was very different from ours. We heard about Seattle’s growth over the last decade and how they now control the market in their jurisdiction. And another of our sister locals is just starting to make up for years of inaction and recently ratified their new constitution. More and more we are also hearing about wardrobe workers getting parity with stagehands. Our own Secretary/Treasurer Pelous spoke about Health & Safety and how locals can train touring shows on Health & Safety by insisting that proper procedures be followed.