Category Archives: 205 News

Local 205 News & Information.

Training Seminar Monday November 28th

Austin Stagehands,

Brother Paul Arebalo and Ian “Micky” McGuane will be presenting a pre-meeting seminar before the Local 205 regular membership meeting on November 28^th.

The topic of the seminar is “Essential Knots” and it will feature hands-on practice and visual presentations. This seminar is open to ALL Austin area stagehands and is free.

This is a “very” basic class. If you have a moment of panic and uncertainty when asked to tie a bowline or a clove hitch, then this seminar is probably for you.

Knots Tying

The seminar will be held in the IBEW 3^rd floor meeting room from 6:00 pm to 7:30pm.
Please RSVP using this form.

Since there was a huge turnout for the last seminar, I’m trying a different sign up process. To sign up, please fill out the form at: https://goo.gl/forms/Q2mxAslkmrWzstFG3. You should receive an immediate confirmation that your sign up request was recorded.

If you cannot make this seminar, there are plenty of online resources for self-learning, just ask another stagehand what knots you should know and consult Grog’s Animated Knots page (or smartphone app).

DELL/EMC World (and lots of other work in October)

Brothers and Sisters,

Dell World is moving into Austin Convention Center on October 14th and out on October 20th under several clients including Production Support Services, Las Vegas, GES and Freeman AV to name the largest. We need approximately 200 technicians and hands to fill all the calls. Therefore, we are requesting ALL members who are available to work this October and November to please call in and support your union.

We have crew calls at Paramount theater for Austin Film Fest and several other small jobs that have been added this week as well.

Due to the busy nature of these two months, you may report your availability to work in three ways: call into the HH phone number or, email or, wishlist jobs that you are available to work on Call Steward. (Note, if you wishlist a job, you are reporting that you are available for any position and for the entire job as there is no mechanism in Call Steward to request certain positions or days.) Set your vacation manager for days not available.

Whichever way you choose, report your availability for this specific time frame as soon as possible and we will endeavor to put you to work.

In Solidarity,
Nikki Combs
Business Agent
I.A.T.S.E. Local 205

Stage Alliance ‘B Rate’ Is No More!

With the recent wage dispute concluded and subsequent settlement checks mailed out, Stage Alliance Inc. contacted IATSE Local 205 with a new wage proposal for consideration:

“Stage Alliance proposes paying out $17.25 on all stagehand wages at Long Center and UT Texas Performing Arts for the remainder of this CBA with Local 205. This would eliminate the B wage completely, provided that Local 205 agrees to freeze the wage increase for stagehand positions only on LCPA and TPA events; scheduled to take effect 10/1/2016. Stage Alliance proposes NO other changes to the wage addendum set for October 1st until the end of the current CBA.”

On September 28th 2016, IATSE Local 205 members voted to accept this proposal. On October 1, 2016 all rated positions with the exception of ‘stagehands’, will receive the scheduled 1% pay increase. However, stagehands will now receive $17.25 for all work at Long Center’s Dell Hall and all venues of Texas Performing Arts. Eliminating the B stagehand wage rate is something Local 205 has pushed for during the last two contract negotiations, so we are very happy to finally see it gone! This change will remain in effect until the current contract expires on September 30, 2017.

Stage Alliance Pay It Right Update – September 2016

The shows listed below are the shows that were previously paid at the B wage, but have been reclassified to A wage as settlement of the arbitration between IATSE Local 205 and Stage Alliance.

Ballet Folklorico
Screw Tape Letters
UB40
Bollywood Massala
Work Call on 10/27/16
Neil Gaiman
Vietnamese Live
Les Ballets Trocadero
ASO Pops
Argo Guthrie
Peking Acrobats
Vocalocity
Carol Burnett
Shen Yun Dance
Star Trek Ultimate Voyage
Black Violin
Legend of Zelda
Mandy Patinkin
Case/Lang/Viers

The list was determined by the criteria in the SA-LCPA contract that was in effect when we negotiated the current CBA with Stage Alliance. Ticket sales information was used to verify proper classification of the events.

Note: The GMC event was a private corporate event with no tickets sold and a closed balcony, so it did not qualify as an A rate event by the criteria in the SA-LCPA contract.

Make-up checks and healthy & annuity contributions have been made by Stage Alliance. If stagehands worked these shows and have not received a make-up check, they should contact a Local 205 steward or the Business Agent.

Lynda.com Subscriptions (New or Renewal)

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

If you were signed up for a Lynda.com subscription that just ended on 8/31, you may renew your subscription for $25. See this flyer for what the courses are like or browse all of them on lynda.com.

New subscriptions also cost $25. See the attached flyer for more information on Lynda.com and the online training that is offered.

All year 2 subscriptions will last until 8/31/2017.

You must be, and remain, in good standing with all financial obligations to Local 205 in order to sign up for Lynda.com.

To sign up or renew, please follow the following procedure. Please note that the IATSE office in NY wants to receive ONE check from Local 205 for all people who sign up, so we must follow these steps.

Email and let me know that you want to renew or sign up.
If you are signing up for the first time, please include your date of birth (required by Lynda.com) and the email address you would like to have associated with the Lynda.com account.
Renewing members will continue to use the email address that they signed up with last year.
Send a check for $25, payable to “IATSE Local 205” to Treasurer Kelso. Please put “Lynda.com” on the memo line so she knows what the check is for.
You may mail the check to PO Box 142, Austin TX 78767 or pay at the monthly meeting.
Your subscription will be activated when the IATSE office in NY receives and processes the subscription forms. Lynda.com will contact you directly to complete the sign in process at that time.

In solidarity,
Todd Drga
IATSE Local 205 Vice President

Congratulations on the new positions!

IATSE Local 205 congratulates Kevin Squires on obtaining the position of House Carpenter at the Paramount Theatre, and Ryan Graham, on obtaining the position of House AV Technician at the Long Center. We look forward to representing you and hope you will consider joining our union!

Stewarding II Training Oct 5th and 6th

Via Sam Chesney, Steward Committee Chair:

Brothers and Sisters,

Local 205 will be offering Steward 2 training and testing again in October. This course is open to all members who have completed previous Stewarding courses. There is no charge associated with this class.

Dates: October 5th and 6th from 9am to 5pm
Location: IBEW 3rd Floor Meeting Hall
Please RSVP to

The Steward 2 course is for members who have completed Steward 1 training and offers additional instruction in writing grievances, investigating complaints and incidents, dealing with management, CBA analysis, Call Steward, Hiring Hall paperwork, and a lot more. In addition, the second day, October 6th, we will be offering the Steward exam.

Note that the Business Agent is under standing orders from the membership to appoint and crew stewards who have passed this test and attended these classes above other considerations. Also note that in order to keep your qualified steward status you are required to re-certify bi-annually.

Sam Chesney
Chair, Steward’s Committee

Union vs. Stage Alliance Wage Dispute Arbitration RESULT!

Dear Stage Alliance Employees:

I am pleased to announce that IATSE Local 205 won it’s grievance against Stage Alliance in regard to the dispute over Long Center wages. Additionally, the arbitrator granted the remedies we were seeking. The details are as follows:

Although the arbitrator ruled that Stage Alliance did not fail to bargain with the Union and dismissed our unfair labor practice charge, the arbitrator also ruled that Stage Alliance did violate the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) when it unilaterally altered the show classification system at the Long Center. Furthermore, the arbitrator has ordered Stage Alliance to reinstate the show classification system for the life of the CBA as it was prior to the change made in September 2015. In addition, Stage Alliance shall “make whole” (pay the missing wages and health and annuity benefits) all of the stagehands who were not paid the appropriate Class A wage rate for shows that they worked at the Long Center since September 10, 2015.

Per the arbitrator’s ruling, the Union will prepare a list of affected shows, as already detailed in Stage Alliance’s arbitration announcement.

This positive result for Stage Alliance employees is the result of the hard work that Local 205 puts in to negotiating and enforcing our agreements. We could have gone to mediation or taken the compromise that was offered by Stage Alliance, but we listened when employees told us that they did not want to give up the wages that they were entitled to.

In closing, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who showed solidarity on this issue. This win is great news for our Local and for Stage Alliance employees alike. We are here to serve Austin’s stage employees by negotiating agreements with fair wages and conditions, and then by protecting those agreements. This is why IATSE Local 205 exists!

In Solidarity,
President Magee

Stage Alliance Inc. Update

Attention all Stage Alliance Inc. Employees. Below is an update on the Stage Alliance Inc. wage dispute arbitration proceedings. Additionally we’ve created a handy page in the news section to catch all the Stage Alliance Inc. updates moving forward.

The arbitration hearing between Stage Alliance and IATSE Local 205 took place on July 7, 2016. The arbitrator will issue her ruling within 30 days of the hearing date.

The hearing was in connection with Local 205’s grievance regarding the reduction of A rate shows and the expansion of B rate shows at the Long Center for Performing Arts initiated in September 2015.

Further to President Magee’s letter posted previously, please note that it has been determined that Frank Warren was a B rate show and is therefore not in dispute. Additionally, Local 205 is awaiting payroll information regarding Legend of Zelda and Mandy Patinkin to determine whether these shows will be included in the grievance.

(via Local 205 President, Rachel Magee)

2nd Annual Stagehand Appreciation Cookout!

We, IATSE Local 205, are hosting our 2nd Annual Stagehand Appreciation Cookout in two weeks! All Austin area stagehands welcome, regardless of union affiliation. Please RSVP for you and your party to .

Date: Sunday, July 24th, 2016
Location: Martin Park, 10 Chicon St., Austin, TX 78702

The schedule is as follows:
12pm-1pm – Set up starts
3pm – Food Served
4pm – Stagehand Olympics!
8pm – End of Cookout / Clean-up

Bring yourselves, your fellow Austin area stagehands, members and non-members alike, and your families!

We will be cooking burgers and other foods on the grill. Feel free to bring a side or something to throw on the grill.

We are looking for people to help with set-up, cooking and tear-down.

We are also look for people to bring along common cookout goods and activities, such as:

Grilling Tools
Cutting Boards/Food Prep Items
Tables / Chairs
EZ-Ups
Coolers
Grills
Games (2×4 Jenga, Frisbees, Kites, etc.)
Items for Stagehand Olympics

Please contact Paul Arebalo, Chair of the Organizing Committee, at or leave a comment on the facebook event if you are able to help out in any way.

IATSE Local 205 (Old Website)

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local 205; Serving Austin, Texas