IATSE_3rd2017_web

under contract in recent years through
strategic organizing. These efforts send a
clear message that the IATSE’s members
will not stand for less than the area standard
wages and benefits they deserve.
The Department is now actively
preparing for future industry negotiations.
The Basic Agreement and the Area
Standards Agreement both expire July
31, 2018. Economic stability—including
health and retirement benefits—and the
safety of our members will continue to be
the IATSE’s top priorities at the bargaining
table.
As the motion picture and television
industries evolve, so will the IATSE. I am
committed to safety and skills training,
which will prepare our members for inevitable
technological changes. Protecting
our jurisdiction is a constant necessity
and together with IATSE Locals we will
protect our jobs. We will be prepared to
meet these and other challenges head-on,
through solidarity and commitment. The
growth and success of the Motion Picture
and Television Department over the last
four years offers proof that our unified
membership and the power of our collective
voice will lead the Alliance into the
future.
COMMUNICATIONS
DEPARTMENT
The Communications Department,
since its establishment in 2011, has grown
progressively in size, sophistication, and
enthusiasm. The Communications Department
has raised the profile of our
issues, our concerns, and our Union’s talented
members to new levels. The capacity
of the Department has grown to successfully
manage multiple projects and
initiatives. Over the past several years, our
Communications staff has become particularly
skilled at establishing and maintaining
multiple digital communications
tools; developing messaging strategies
that maximize the International’s outreach;
and providing valuable assistance
in IATSE organizing campaigns. I believe
that a well-informed membership standing
in solidarity is essential to the overall
success of the Alliance. And I am pleased
to report that the Communications Department
contributes its significant
efforts to that mission.
Since the 67th Quadrennial Convention
four years ago, Molly Katchpole
joined the Department and holds the position
of Senior Outreach Coordinator.
She came to the Alliance with experience
in political and digital campaign organizing.
Increasing our communications
capacity was crucial because the speed
of internet communications requires the
Department to manage a large volume of
content on a weekly basis.
With the use of multiple communications
tools, the Department strives to
meet the IATSE’s members wherever they
may be—on the road, in the workplace,
and on the internet. Among the various
emerging digital communications tools at
the Department’s disposal, email remains
one of the most enduring and reliable.
Upon assuming responsibility over the
IATSE email program, the Communications
Department sought to shift the
IATSE’s periodic emails from one-way
notices to more action-oriented messages,
which will appeal to a broad and
growing base of recipients. A redesigned
email template was introduced in 2014
that better accommodates mobile device
screens and matches the look and theme
of the IATSE’s existing website. Under the
Communications Department’s guidance,
the IATSE has also transitioned to
a new email delivery platform. This new
goal-oriented platform allows the Alliance
to more precisely distribute targeted
emails to members based on regional
matters that might affect them (for
example, new messages can be limited to
recipients by city, voting district or zip
code). This and other advanced features
have enabled the Alliance to achieve measurable
success with our traditional email
program. Statistics show that, on average,
recipients are opening IATSE emails at a
rate that is nearly twice as high as emails
sent by comparable organizations. With
these changes, the IATSE email program
has remained a powerful part of our
online Communications toolset.
Along with creating and editing email
content, the Communications Department
has focused on refining online
messages to more competently reach the
IATSE’s members and the general public.
Through a range of publications (from
140-character tweets to full-page press
releases) the Communications Department’s
messages are designed to appeal to
a wide audience. These efforts have been
aided by the AFL-CIO, which recently
conducted focus group studies to identify
the most resonant terms to use when distributing
content about unions and their
members. Within this framework, the
Communications Department creates
materials that promote accomplishments
of our members and share our vision
with the public.
The Department principally does
this through the expansive reach of social
media networks. Since the 67th Conven-
THIRD QUARTER 2017 59