Education for a Unique Local

A union is only as a good as it’s membership, and I believe the key to a strong membership is organization, connection and understanding. As a Local representing a variety of crafts, it is imperative to have a mechanism in which to learn both as individuals and from one another.

Member Education

Local 44 needs more specified education provided for our specific skills. Our crafts do important, specialized work and I, among many, have been asking for education solutions to our unique circumstances or to provide transferrable skills to aid in advancement. I would like to work with each craft steering committee to create more tailored programs for exactly what our members are seeking in terms of education. If it’s opportunities to learn Dropbox specifically for shopping photo organization, Excel for budgeting, or whatever is desired to make our complicated jobs more efficient, our members deserve that. These are programs that do not have to cost a lot of money and can be designed to our members specific education needs.

Mentorship

As the Secretary-Treasurer, I would like to expand the mentorship program that I founded and have ran for four years in the Set Decorator Craft to a centralized program for the entirety of Local 44. With the participation of craft reps and steering committees, this would facilitate inter-craft and cross-craft mentorship opportunities to allow individual members access to learn from others’ experiences.

A mentorship program can provide real-time one-on-one sharing of information for those that are looking to expand their skills and sense of community within their current craft, gain a better understanding of how to work with other departments, or find out more details on if a classification change is something they aspire for.

Information Accessibility

Working with the Business Agent’s office to make our contracts easily digestible and simple to navigate is the cornerstone of member-led enforcement. I would like to enact elements on our website that break down contracts into individual craft-specific information as well as digestible videos and tutorials for “at your own pace” education.

In conjunction with readily available Business Agent Office Bulletins and contact information, this contract shorthand guidance can help streamline common questions and answers and create efficiency in the hall and workplaces.