IA 470 Phone Numbers

Business Agent: Steve Dedow 920-688-3272 (Oshkosh/Van Dyne)
Toll free (long distance only) 866-426-4707
e-mail: iatse470@hotmail.com
Office hours 9am to 6pm Monday-Friday.
Local 470 Fax: 920-688-3226
President: Randy Darabosh 920-203-3554
e-mail: randydarabosh@gmail.com
Homepage: http://homepage.mac.com/randydarabosh
Secretary: Richard Comfort: 917-450-0747
email: dablindguy@gmail.com
T-shirt Committee: James Abbet: 920-427-3391
Webmaster: Mick Alderson
e-mail: mick.alderson@gmail.com

IATSE Local 470 represents professional stagehands in Northeastern Wisconsin, and is a Local of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

We provide a trained, knowledgeable labor force for all forms of technical theatre, including:
  • legitimate theatre
  • concerts and festivals
  • dance and pageants
  • trade shows
  • installations of stage equipment and rigging.

Our members are skilled in:
  • Stage Carpentry
  • Electrics
  • Sound
  • Props
  • Wardrobe
  • Rigging.

Application Procedure

We welcome new members, and offer a regular training program for new members and on-the-job training for non-members. Check out our Application Procedure.

We regularly place non-members through our Hiring Hall. They work beside and under the direction of members. If you are interested working with us, check out "Permit Worker Information". Then contact our Business Agent.

IA 470 Hiring Hall

IATSE 470 has instituted a Hiring Hall to place workers in jobs. All workers who wish to work with IA 470 must become members of the Hiring Hall, and agree to the terms and conditions of the Hiring Hall Procedures. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE A MEMBER OF IATSE 470 TO BE A MEMBER OF THE HIRING HALL! You DO have to be a member of the Hiring Hall to receive work through the Hiring Hall.

If you are interested in working through the Hiring Hall, please review the Hiring Hall Procedures. Then, if you wish to apply, you must print, fill out and return the Hiring Hall Agreement to the address indicated on the form.

PLEASE BE AWARE that applying to the Hiring Hall is NO GUARANTEE of receiving work! There are MANY members of the Hiring Hall, and work is assigned according the Procedures outlined in the document. Again, see the Hiring Hall Procedures document for details. Be aware that the terms of the Worker Conduct Policy applies to ALL workers who apply to the Hiring Hall.

Alliance, Inc.

Alliance, Inc. is the payroll corporation used by IA 470 to see that workers are paid quickly and efficiently. Go to their web-page at www.alliancepayroll.org to download and Alliance Invoices, workcall sheets, new employee forms, or Injury Report forms for use by members serving as job stewards. Alliance, Inc. can use Direct Deposit to your bank account so that paychecks may be more quickly expedited. The appropriate forms are available at the Alliance Website. Check it out!

Additional steward materials can be found in the Members Only part of this web site. Enter below.

Worker Conduct Policy

Country USA 2010 Info

EAA 2010 Info AirVenture Logo

IF YOU HAVE NEVER WORKED EAA BEFORE check out the EAA Information Page so you know where you are going and what to bring!

New hires MUST bring two forms of ID:

A government-issued picture ID like a Driver's License
Your Social Security card

or you won't be hired. Workers must also bring the minimum tools required by the contract:

Hammer
Phillips screwdriver
Flat blade screw driver
Crescent wrench
Utility knife
Pliers

or you may be sent home. Again, see the EAA information Page for more details and for maps to EAA.

Summer Outdoor Shows

As we enter the summer show season, think about the additional considerations involved in working outdoor shows. Country USA, Oneida Bingo and Casino, EAA; these venues involve working long hours in sometimes adverse weather conditions and NOT in our usual locations. Stagehands should take extra steps to be sure you can works effectively and safely.

Besides the usual selection of tools a stagehand should bring to a call, you may want to add some additional gear to your kit: Raingear and a change of clothes, extra shoes, a hat and sunblock, and so on. It may get very hot (maybe a spare pair of shorts and T-shirt?), or pretty cool (especially after a rainstorm or after sundown) so plan accordingly. I like a layered approach as you can add or subtract clothing when the weather changes, and it will! You may go from sun and temperatures in the 90's to rain, wind, and temps in the 40's in the matter of a few hours. Wisconsin is like that!

Outdoor venues are often located away of other facilities. You may not be as familiar with how to get there, so be sure you know where you are going BEFORE you leave home. Check our Maps section below, although it is possible you are going somewhere we don't have maps for! Get directions!

In general, try to get there early: fifteen to thirty min. is good. Traffic can be unpredictable and is sometimes re-routed, so allow time for surprises. For Country USA and EAA the police often re-route traffic patterns to handle the unusual loads which the local roads aren't designed for. Assume it may be different than you remember, especially as showtime approaches. Heavy traffic means traffic jams. We still expect you to be ON TIME. If it seems you might be late, call the cell phone number for the Steward, which also means it makes sense to get the cell phone numbers BEFORE you leave home! If all else fails contact the B.A., but don't be surprised if he isn't in the office. He may be working the show you are headed for!

It is usually very warm, and you may be working outside and often away from a water source. Bring a bottle of water and sunscreen. Check weather in case raingear is in order. Bring the usual tools; gloves, a multi-tool or screwdriver and pliers, a crescent wrench, and maybe other tools needed to get the job done. You may find yourself building the stage as well as setting up the show. Lunch may be provided, but don't count on it. Lunch if not provided will be 1 hour long. Restaurants are usually some distance away, so many people bring a bag lunch. If you do, make sure you have a good cooler or bring non-perishable food. A sandwich left in a hot car is not good!

TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! Working a show is challenging, and working outdoors adds an extra level of stress. Keep in mind the 6:2:1 rule of festival survival. Not easy to follow, but it should be a goal!

"At any given time, in the previous 24 hours you should have had six good hours of sleep, two solid meals, and one shower and clean clothes. You cannot substitute one for the other, six meals and two hours of sleep just doesn't work." (Dale Farmer, Stagecraft Mailing List)

If you are a new worker (a "stringer") and you haven't read it yet, check out check out the "Permit Worker Information" packet for information and procedures.

Education

For First-timers

New to backstage? Check out these pages, then some of the other links below. And Welcome!

All documents are and remain property of IATSE Local 470, and are for informational purposes only. They may not be published or distributed without the consent of Local 470.

To download the following documents, click on link, then use your browser's "File|Save as" function to copy to your computer.

Special Departments Information

IATSE 470 is a "Mixed" Local. This means we cover all areas of technical theatre. Many of our members are "general" stagehands, covering Carpentry, ELectrics, Sound, and Props. Others choise to specialize in other areas of the trade; Wardrobe, Wigs and Hair, Rigging, and Video and Film. Check out these pages for more info.

"Stagehand Primer"

Local 470 has an active training program for apprentice members. The Stagehand's Primer is provided as an aid to apprentices studying to become Journeymen Stagehands, and is available to interested non-members as well. However, PLEASE NOTE: This "Stagehand Primer" is specifically intended for the use of the Stagehands and Apprentices of IATSE Local 470. It remains the property of the author, Mick Alderson, and the contents of this website may not be copied, saved, reproduced, or duplicated in any way, either in whole or in part, without the written consent of the author.

Educational Resources

IATSE Local 470 is a Sustaining Member of USITT Midwest Section. The Section offers several educational events and seminars each year, which Local members are elligible to attend.

IATSE Local 470 makes educational documents available for download. Many are available to Local Members ONLY, while others can be accessed below. If you are a member of the Local and need documents not available here contact Mick Alderson, at mick.alderson@gmail.com, or at Ph. 920-836-3031, for instructions.

IA 470 Rigging Standard - a Must-Read for Ground Riggers!
How to Read a Light Plot
Temporary Rigging
ETC Lightboard Cheat Sheet

On-Line Resources

There are excellent on-line educational resources available as well:

First Gig: Etiquette from "Stagehand Tees" website
Life in Film, excellent resources for stagehands working in the film industry from "Film Training Manitoba".

For Local Members Only, click here.

Additional materials are available here to Local 470 members; requires login and password to enter.

EFFECTIVE DEC. 1, THE PASSWORD TO ENTER HAS CHANGED!
Members may contact a Local officer or Mick Alderson to obtain login and password.

Meeting Minutes (Login/Password required)

Where Am I Going Today?

We cover a big geographical area. Need maps to get to where you are working today? Try these:

Venue Addresses (Local Members Only)

Thank you, Suzie Hubers,
for your many years of service
as Treasurer of Local 470!

The Gallery
a selection of photos of our stagehands on-the job;
click to viewer larger photo.

Country USA setup	Stage framing	The roof rises
Standing by	Setting the stage	Spotlights FOH
There was a lighting strike at FOH during the load-out at 2:00 in the morning. Fortunately, no one was AT FOH at the time, although a hand did take a jolt from a chain motor on stage 100 ft. away. (He received medical treatment and seems to be recovering nicely.) One could say the structure was compromised a bit!
Lightning strike at FOH	Strike, side view	Closeup
Another closeup