IATSE_3rd2017_web

tion four years ago, the IATSE’s overall
social media presence has grown consistently
and has now reached tens of thousands
of followers. Social media provides
a space where the Department assembles
content that promotes the IATSE and
the labor movement generally. It provides
an opportunity to comment upon
current events and pushes members to
become active participants in the Alliance’s
initiatives. It allows the IATSE to
deliver member news, union news, and
entertainment news to the IATSE audience.
Social media has made it easier for
members to access all this content on a
mobile device from backstage, on set, or
on the road.
Our online presence also allows the
Communications Department to contribute
to IATSE organizing and contract
campaigns. Campaign supporters can
access Facebook posts and Twitter tweets
or gather thousands of petition signatures.
Alliance organizing campaigns are
thus exposed to hundreds of thousands
of views through social media alone. Our
statistics prove that our allies and adversaries
both notice this work. Moreover,
the flexibility of social media allows the
Department to succinctly conclude its activities
when a strike is settled or negotiations
are complete.
One particularly notable campaign
involved contract negotiations by several
IATSE local unions at New York’s Metropolitan
Opera in 2014. The Communications
Department produced, edited, and
distributed digital communications as
part of the “Save the Met Opera” campaign
to support our affiliates and promote the
fight for a fair contract. I commend all the
efforts in the “Save the Met Opera” campaign,
which were principally carried out
on the ground by members of the Locals
working at the Metropolitan Opera. The
impressive digital support offered by the
Communications Department (through
social media, websites, and coordinated
press releases) contributed to the campaign’s
success.
Another noteworthy campaign involved
Canadian commercial production
firm Egg Films. After an action protesting
Egg’s lockout of union film technicians in
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Egg Films launched
social media attacks against the IA. With
video and photos submitted by members
at the protest, the Communications Department
assembled a video featuring
Egg Films supporters screaming at IATSE
members. The video was picked up by
Halifax press and circulated among regional
labor organizations and members.
On social media, the video eventually received
nearly 55,000 views within a few
days.
The IATSE’s social media work has
also allowed the Department to publicize
political matters that are important to
the IATSE’s members. During the most
recent U.S. elections, the Communications
Department worked with the Political
Department to distribute messaging
regarding candidate platforms and
publicize get-out-the-vote opportunities
to our members. The Communications
Department live-tweeted the presidential
debates and vice presidential debate
on Twitter, commenting on candidates’
performances and fact-checking their
remarks.
Leading up to the 2016 U.S. elections,
the Department helped to create
and distribute a popular publication
called, “Open Letter to Donald Trump”
published on the website medium.com.
The letter—describing an instance where
Donald Trump crossed an IATSE picket
line—had wide appeal. It reached over
200,000 views on medium.com and other
social media platforms. It was extensively
redistributed by other labor organizations,
including the AFL-CIO. This is only
one example of the importance of social
media when distributing political communications
that are significant to the
Alliance.
While the main function of the Communications
Department is to focus on
matters related to the IATSE, it also supports
the campaigns of our allies within
the labor movement and other progressive
groups. The Department has frequently
identified matters that the IATSE
could publicize and support via social
media. Consequently, the initiatives of
our colleagues receive tens of thousands
of additional views by people in the
IATSE’s social media networks. These
efforts have included digital communications
supporting worker organizing campaigns
and boycotts by other AFL-CIO
unions and remarks from the IATSE
Women’s Committee about the importance
of access to healthcare through
Planned Parenthood (which has recently
faced legislative defunding). The Communications
Department will continue
finding opportunities to support the activities
of our allies and our sister and
brother labor unions.
Additionally, due to the IATSE’s
notoriety for competent digital communications,
the Communications
Department has developed resources
and trainings for IATSE local unions,
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