IATSE 3rd 2019_web

on how and why this workplace tragedy
was preventable. The IATSE also
took an active leadership role in helping
to formulate twenty-eight jury recommendations
aimed at improving workplace
safety for all similarly-situated
live performance workers in Ontario,
including IATSE members. All recommendations
supported by IATSE were
adopted by the jury. As a direct result of
IATSE’s participation in this inquest,
IATSE will be one of the constituent
members of a permanent working group
funded by the Ontario Government
consisting of live performance industry
professionals and professional engineers
who are charged with the responsibility
of developing and maintaining a fully
integrated and consistent approach to
the processes involved in the live performance
industry, including the construction
and use of temporary staging,
to ensure similar workplace tragedies do
not occur in the future. The report concluded
with the General Executive Board
and meeting attendees rising to observe
a moment of silence on behalf of Scott
Johnson.
President Loeb thanked the Canadian
Office for its report. In doing so, he
confirmed that the IATSE will continue
to be committed to ensuring that the
health and safety of IATSE members remains
a top priority for the Alliance and
that the International will always support
any initiatives aimed at improving the
health and safety of all workers in the entertainment
industry.
REALITY TELEVISION
ORGANIZING CANADA
International Vice President and Director
of Canadian Affairs John Lewis,
International Representatives Peter
DaPrato and Jeremy Salter and Canadian
Office Operations Manager Nate Richmond
reported to the General Executive
Board on IATSE’s reality television organizing
initiatives.
The nature and scope of reality and/
or factual television in Canada has increased
over the last decade with the licensing
of Canadian versions of several
successful United States reality-based
shows. In an effort to organize the workers
in this industry, the IATSE and the
Canadian Media Guild (CMG), an affiliate
of the Communications Workers
of America (CWA), officially formed a
council in May 2019 - the Factual Television
Joint Counsel. The Council is governed
by a constitution which sets out the
respective jurisdiction of the two unions.
The Council has identified a number
of organizing targets and is currently in
the process engaging with some of those
target employers with a view to reaching
collective agreements and/or filing
applications for certification in the near
future.
President Loeb thanked Vice President
Lewis and the others for the report.
In doing so, he noted that reality television
workers in Canada deserve workplace
representation and the IA is both
capable of providing it and willing
to commit the resources to making it
happen.
STEWARD TRAINING
International Trustee and Education
and Training Department Director
Patricia White reported to the General
Executive Board regarding steward training
developments.
White reported that IATSE Steward
Training materials are now available to
local unions upon request. The training
materials are designed for local trainers
to use and customize to fit their own
Local’s needs, and include a main PowerPoint
presentation, a supplementary
scenario presentation, the IATSE steward
tool-kit, the IATSE steward glossary, and
an instructor’s manual. The presentation
runs about two to three hours long.
While it is customizable to fit each Local’s
needs, it can also be used without any
further alteration. The training is available
in versions for both U.S. and Canadian
Locals.
International Representative Dan
Little conducted the first pilot training
in Philadelphia for eleven Local 8 stewards
on June 10, and Special Representative
Don Martin followed up with a session
on June 29 with a session for twenty
stewards from Locals 329 and 82. International
Representative Peter DaPrato
piloted the Canadian version for eighteen
participants from Locals 58, 129, 828 in
Hamilton, Ontario. Small alterations
were made based on instructor feedback
from these sessions, to produce the finished
version. The training has also been
shared with Richard Negi, Education Director
of Local 600 and Mandie DeMeskey,
Head Steward at Local 52. Both gave
helpful input, which will be incorporated
into customized training at those Locals
later this summer.
White thanked the representatives
already mentioned for their willingness
to test the materials, to International Vice
President and Director of Canadian Affairs
John Lewis, International Vice President
Dan Di Tolla and Assistant Stagecraft
Department Director Joe Hartnett
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