The Official Bulletin: 2016 Q4 / NO. 654

Local 680 AV Customer Services Training Far Right
Course Instructor IATSE Representative Jason Vergnano.
over-hires for a number of AV companies. We need to capitalize
on that‎ market presence by seeking to capture this work under
agreements that ensure this work will remain within the purview
of [the IATSE].”
Training and organizing lay at the heart of the IATSE’s
Tradeshow and Display Department efforts to capitalize on
new opportunities in an industry that many longtime stagework
veterans – Lutge, Kiracofe, Gearns, Hennessy, etc. –
see as virtually limitless, in terms of employment and new
growth.
“Nowadays, anywhere an association books its meeting,
there’s going to be AV work,” Kiracofe relates about the
future of his industry. “It’s not just limited to major hotel
chains like Hilton, Sheraton, etc. It’s the Hampton Inns, the
Courtyards, and so many others; it’s become a large part of
their business.”
The major convention markets – Las Vegas, Chicago, San
Francisco, Orlando – all continue to see an upwelling in AV
work associated with major trade show events, as would be expected.
“But a market like Phoenix has also benefited tremendously,”
Kiracofe adds, “thanks to the national agreement [with
PSAV]. PSAV is a company that has in excess of forty properties
in the Phoenix area, so Bill [Hennessy] has done a fantastic job
in getting [Local 336] members into those buildings on a regular
basis that had not been available in the past. There was very
little union AV work in that area before [being added to that
agreement].”
Kiracofe says, “It’s really up to the individual [IATSE]
Local 31 Kansas City MO
Convention Center AV Essentials Course
with Ben Adams and InfoComm.
Locals how aggressive they want to be in going after a historically
nonunion market like AV. “Someone is doing that work
– probably a freelancer, or perhaps a full-time employee working
below union scale without any benefits. That gives us the
opportunity to provide representation for those employees,”
he observes.
“The first reaction I often get when approaching a Local,”
Kiracofe continues, “is I don’t know if we have the people to do
that work.’ And my response is always: ‘the training is there for
your members if they seek it out. And beyond that, let’s find
out who is doing the work. If they’re capable and want to have
representation, we should bring them in to work under these
national contracts. Tennessee, where I’m based is a right-towork
state, so the effort really needs to be expended to convince
[freelance AV workers] to see the benefits of being in a union.”
“Training, training, training,” Gandolini announces when
asked what it will take to advance the IATSE’s gains in new
tradeshow/AV markets. “It’s absolutely critical for [Locals] to
take advantage of the many different educational programs and
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