Aloha kākou, members of Local 665,
As we wind down 2023, we are ramping up for the 2024 state legislative session, which opens on January 17th, 2024. In addition to our own priorities, we’ve identified priorities from the AFL-CIO Committee on Political Education (COPE) and the Democratic Party of Hawaii’s Labor Caucus. It’s our duty to stand up for organized labor and for the working families of Hawai’i. We do that by being active politically and legislatively. Get familiar with this process now so that you’re dialed in when the clock starts ticking.
Political and Legislative Activism
- Political activism means participating in elections. There are people who say that elections don’t matter, so why bother? If elections were unimportant, there wouldn’t be groups spending millions of dollars trying to prevent us from voting. Your county councilmember, your state representative, and your state senator will vote on things that affect your daily life – from zoning, to speed limits, to the film tax incentive, and beyond. The issues they support and oppose mean more to us than the party they affiliate with. Register to vote today by going to: https://olvr.hawaii.gov/.
- Your state legislators sit on committees where they discuss and vote on the bills that might eventually become laws. Get familiar with your legislators, identify the types of bills that they introduce, and study how they vote on issues. To find your legislators, go to: https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/fyl/
- Legislative activism means participating in the lawmaking process. We do this by actively submitting testimony in support of or opposition to bills that are being considered by these legislative bodies. We will ask the membership to submit testimony in support of or opposition to bills of interest as they emerge. When we do, we’ll provide sample testimony that you can submit verbatim or use as a template.
- Create an account at capitol.hawaii.gov. You must register an account to submit testimony.
- Bills are named based on which chamber they were introduced into, which version or “draft” the bill is being considered, and the subject matter of the bill. For example: “SB 1234 SD1 – Relating to Taxation” means “Senate Bill 1234 Senate Draft 1 – Relating to Taxation”. HB = “House Bill. Be vigilant when submitting testimony, as SB 1234 is completely different from HB 1234.
- County Councils – Each county has its own set of rules for submitting testimony. Get informed about your county council, its members, the bills they’re discussing, and their voting history by visiting their websites:
Hawaii County Council
https://www.hawaiicounty.gov/our-county/legislative/county-council/attend-meetings-submit-testimony
Maui County Council
https://www.mauicounty.gov/159/Council-Meetings
Honolulu City Council
https://www.honolulucitycouncil.org/
Kaua’i County Council
https://www.kauai.gov/Government/Council
Training
- Free LinkedIn Learning Subscription – As an IA member, you get a free subscription to LinkedIn Learning. It has thousands of courses like the TTF A/V series, Computer Essentials, and much, much more. You can take these online courses at your own pace. The information and certifications you will receive not only strengthens your skill set, but our union as well. To sign up for your free subscription, go to https://www.iatsetrainingtrust.org/lil
- MP/TV Training – If you’ve worked under the Area Standards Agreement, go to www.iatsetrainingtrust.org/asa. Skills and Safety training separates us from the competition. This free online training can be taken at your own pace. Complete these courses and we can keep Hawai’i’s Film/TV work for Hawai’i’s Film/TV workers.
- In-person OSHA 10 Dec 14 and 15 – Mahalo Nui, Jeff NihipaliDay, for stepping in to teach this course. 16 members are attending and will complete the course. This course and ASA training are essential to securing our foothold in the entertainment industry in Hawai’i. Completing this course enables us to organize live event venues and employers. This safety training is for every craft in our union. The next OSHA 10 will be scheduled in the first quarter of 2024.
Remember, joining a union isn’t a passive action done once. It’s a hui that we build together every day. Help build your union up by being active politically, legislatively, and by participating in training courses. Have a safe and happy holiday season. Lonoikamakahiki!
In Solidarity,
Tuia’ana Scanlan
President, IATSE 665
He/him/his
Download Here: 2023 IATSE 665 Ohana Day Flyer
For the first time in our local’s history, we held a golf tournament just for our members, and their families & friends. We bought out the Kaneohe Bayview Golf Course for the day and want to thank all of our members and volunteers who made it a huge success.
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