Labor in the News: Members of IATSE 22 Put on a Show

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Accustomed to being behind the scenes, the members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 22 were in the spotlight last week with a Washington Post article on the work that goes into a Verizon Center concert. Describing the union riggers as “superheroes in cargo shorts,” the Post highlighted “the raw power and behind-the-scenes choreography of the riggers, carpenters, stagehands and loaders that started heaving… followspots at 4 a.m.” "I think the article is great," said Local 22 Call Steward Coleen Shannon. “Most people don’t understand what we do; they think the gear’s up there all the time and don’t think about who puts it up.” Shannon was particularly happy to see the three-minute video the Post put together about their work, adding “next time someone says ‘what do you do for a living?’ I can just say ‘watch the video!’” - photo by Daniel C. Britt/The Washington Post