The Official Bulletin: 2016 Q4 / NO. 654

Local 39 Mahalia Jackson Theater, New Orleans, LA.
Freight Employees Being Sworn into IATSE.
skilled union employees. “The need for highly skilled AV techni-
resent them, and with the International’s assistance and leadership,
we were able to sign agreements with ten employers, which
represents approximately 95% of the tradeshow freight work in
New Orleans. We are now in the process of organizing the few
remaining nonunion employers in tradeshow freight work.”
Gandolini states, “It’s been a great success story in New Orleans
exhibition work, as the pride of these new IATSE freight
workers is obvious. The camaraderie they have on the trade
show floor [with Local 39 ‘deco
employees’] has made for a safer
cians in a market like Dallas,” Gandolini continues, “has never
been more evident. PSAV announced [last year] that they have
a huge inventory of hotel projects on the books where they need
specialized riggers to retrofit hotel ballrooms [for live event/
presentation]. That really means the burden is on [IATSE] to
ensure our workforce is fully trained to meet these expanding
markets.”
A similar scenario is transpiring
in Atlanta, where PSAV maintains
and more productive environment.”
“It’s been a great success
a training center. Chafing
under their nonunion contractor,
story in New Orleans exhibition
Arthur breaks down the gains
Atlanta Locals 927 [Stage Techni-
with the freight employees this
work, as the pride
cians] and 834 [Exhibition Employ-
way: “We basically have two different
freight agreements,” he ex-
a national PSAV contract, and the
ees] were both keen to work under
of these new IATSE freight
plains. “One agreement strictly workers is obvious.”
feeling was mutual. “In the course
covers employers who maintain a
of our conversations [toward signing
a national agreement],” Gearns
INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVE
permanent facility in the New Orleans
DON GANDOLINI
metropolitan area of at least
200,000 square feet of office, shop
and warehouse space and employs at least seventy-five regular,
full-time employees. Another agreement covers all other
employers. Because the Trade Show and Display Department
[of the International] partners with all the Locals in negotiating
agreements, those contracts have become streamlined and
connected. The uniformity puts everyone on the same playing
field.”
Further west, in Texas, which has one of the fastest rates of
job growth in the nation (some estimates are as high as 25%
per year for the next five years), is another booming market for
recounts, “PSAV has offered their
facility in Stone Mountain, and
their trainers, to train our members, which would include training
for the ETCP rigging certification. If that is successful in Atlanta,
then it can become a model for many other markets across
the nation.”
Gandolini says IATSE President Matthew Loeb “has been
fantastic” about directing resources toward training and education.
“With the creation of the Training Trust Fund,” Gandolini
adds, “we have integrated language into all of our tradeshow
agreements, whereby the employer can contribute nominal
amounts and be a participant in the Training Trust. Locals can
FOURTH QUARTER 2016 17