IATSE workers are the mostly highly skilled craftspeople in the entertainment industry. Likewise, local union leaders must have the best possible skills in order to represent these members and confront the challenges and the pressures of the modern labor environment.

In order to fortify local union leaders to tackle this challenging road before us, the IATSE General Executive Board, in conjunction with the IATSE Education and Training Department, created the IATSE Officer Institute. Local union leaders at all levels of experience can enroll in this week-long educational program – a comprehensive boot camp where IATSE local union officers and Business Agents dive into the nuts and bolts of running a local, bargaining, and building power for members.

The IATSE Officer Institute is a five-day, intensive certification program that will be delivered in multiple cities. The week’s courses range from Labor Law and Collective Bargaining to Union Finance, managing day to day challenges and dealing with conflict, and local leaders attending the General Executive Board meeting in San Antonio, TX in January 2014 gave feedback and ideas to make the Officer Institute even more relevant. Instructors are experts in their fields and classes will provide hands-on, practical tools to be brought back to the local. Officers will earn a certificate and must attend all classes to graduate.

The program aims to establish a unified base of knowledge and strengthen the whole IATSE. While Leadership Development is the primary focus of the course, all of the Four Pillars that were featured at the 2013 Boston Convention, including Communications, Activism, and Craft Skills and Safety Training, will be emphasized. Having local union leaders better prepared for their positions will reinforce the Four Pillars in the service of our core focus – always growing and strengthening the IATSE and its local unions for the benefit of our workers in the entertainment industry.

Costs of the Officer Institute are split: the International Union will pay for the program and instructors and local unions are responsible for transportation, hotels and per diem.

The program will travel to various locations around North America, in an effort to reach as many local leaders as possible.

Please check this page for the most up-to-date 2015 schedule.

Please contact officerinstitute [at] iatse.net with any questions.