In honor of International Stage Management Day, co-host of The Valley Labor Report and member of the International Association of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 900, Adam Keller, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his work as a stagehand and the safety measures taken for each gig.
Keller found a home with IATSE almost by accident. He was searching for work and found a home as a stagehand at a concert hall in Huntsville, Ala. Keller has found a family in the company of his IATSE Brothers and Sisters as he continued to work gigs to gain the experience necessary to become a union member. His experience with the union, along with coming from a union family, has only furthered his desire to further educate workers on the importance of unions and the labor movement.
Working on a gig is unique because there is no schedule for the work every week. These gigs start in trucks, and several teams operate in concert to put the stage and equipment together to put on a show. Each team has a specific task and has been trained and educated on how to accomplish these tasks quickly and safely. Focusing on safety and only performing a specific task was unique for Keller and took some time to learn. Still, he believes this method produces more efficient and safer work environments.
Keller mentioned that the focus on safety tends to set the IATSE workplaces apart from the non-union sets. Each member is trained that the work needs to be done in a specific order and way. Some of the stages they have produced could simply fall apart if a screw isn’t fully tightened or a seam isn’t properly joined, Keller said. He loves witnessing the beautiful concerts that could only be performed after the hard work and efforts of himself and his IATSE Brothers and Sisters.
To hear more from Keller and the work done by IATSE, please press play above.