What can the Union do for you, as an individual?  This question always comes up in discussions, and although all benefits to you under a contract are negotiated and therefore unknowable until that happens, we can give you some general outlines:

·        The fundamental advantage of a union is bargaining power as a group.  Negotiating contracts with employers individually puts you at a basic disadvantage with very little information about your situation and the possibilities of improving it.  With a union bargaining with and for you, you are part of a group with the leverage that goes with your larger numbers, the resources of the union, its experience, national organization, and legal counsel.

·        Initially, some of the conditions negotiated by the union in a contract may not be significantly improved; they are, after all, dependent on your management’s resources and bargaining.  However, the collective bargaining agreement is all about long-term benefits.  Once you have that contract, everyone, management and employees alike, has equal opportunity to see what works and fix what doesn’t.  You will now have the ability and resources to find out just how your contract affects management, financially and otherwise.  Your working conditions are now spelled out clearly for everyone and if anyone does not play by the rules, the consequences are clear and your shop steward has the clearly specified ability to enforce the process. 

·        In the event that there are conditions that do not work, you have the ability and resources to negotiate a change, as does management, with due process.  In succeeding negotiations, you have the right and ability to improve your conditions, and the union’s resources will ensure that they do improve, within the ability of management to afford them.  Generally, the compensation package, for instance, will be one number, which you can divide up any way you wish.  Therefore, if you as a group decide that you now need more cash and can defer increases in your benefit package, you may do that. Or vice versa.  If management needs more leeway in your working hours, you may choose to allow that, but only with, for instance, a compensating increase in the wage rate for additional overtime.

·        More importantly, the bargaining agreement gives your employee group the chance to reach a more equitable compensation scale for everyone.  The negotiating process allows everyone to understand how everyone is being compensated, and to have a voice in the distribution of that compensation.  When it is clear how and when everyone gets increases, it is much less likely for there to be tension over why someone is being paid a different wage from someone else.  Furthermore, everyone then has control over how they can get increases and improve their wage rate and conditions.

·        Local 22 also provides training benefits, through the Local’s Training/Education Department.  Funded by the Local and employers, this program provides a diverse menu of classes covering all the skill areas in our business.  There are basic classes for those at an entry level, and advanced classes covering everything up to and including emerging technology.  If there are special areas that need coverage, the Training staff will work with you and your management to develop that training.  All of this class work is inexpensive to you and some classes are free.  We are also continuously developing training materials on various media such as videotape and CD-ROMs, so that you can have references to study on your own time.

·        If you have an interest in the AV area, we are members of InfoComm, an AV industry group that provides Certification and education.  We provide access to their on-line classes at discount rates; you can take these in your home, on your own schedule.  If you want college education, we are partners with Prince George’s Community College in their Theatre and Entertainment Technology Certificate program.  This program provides you with the opportunity to get college credit in courses that are relevant to our work, transfer to other colleges to further your education, or return to work with increased skills and opportunities.

·        We are also a member of, and active in, ESTA, an industry organization developing standards, certification, and education in the entertainment business. ESTA has developed industry-accepted certifications for arena and stage riggers and electricians, and the Local will reimburse the certification exam fee for any Local member who takes one of these exams.