SAN DIEGO, Aug. 1 – Craig Carlson, Business Agent of Chicago-based stage employees Local 2, has been elected unanimously 13th Vice President of the IATSE, filling the VP vacancy left with the election of Matthew Loeb as International President of the IA. Carlson was elected in an executive session of the IA General Executive Board meeting here this week.
A third generation stagehand, Carlson’s grandfather, Walter Heinen, Sr. and his uncle Walter Heinen, Jr. earned gold card membership in Local 2. Carlson began his stagehand career at Chicago’s Lyric Opera in 1979, where he became Union Steward and Stage Left Assistant Carpenter before leaving in 1988 to attend Columbia College to study sound reinforcement.
He was unanimously elected to a three year term as President of the Chicago Entertainment Industry Labor Council in 2007, became President of the Illinois Council of IATSE in 2007, has maintained the position of Technical Director for the National Association of Homebuilders since 2000, and continues as a Technical Advisor to Ravinia Festival while on sabbatical. He was re-elected Business Manager of Local 2 in 2008 without opposition.
Carlson takes office immediately.
