NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS |
February 3, 2017 | PAGE 5
Rose Etta Venetucci first woman business rep at IATSE Local 28
work business confer-
A native of Los
ences, and concerts in are-
Angeles, Venetucci
nas and outdoor venues
moved north to study
throughout the Portland
theater at Portland
metro area and Southwest
State University. She
Washington.
was introduced to
Venetucci, 52, has been
Local 28 while work-
with the union since 1990.
ing as a stagehand at
She had just completed
the university’s Lin-
her first three-year term as
coln Hall. The theater
Rose Etta
president when the busi-
was run by union
Venetucci
ness rep job opened, and
member Chris Her-
she was encouraged to run. rick.
Venetucci has held posts as an
“He raised us IATSE and en-
Executive Board member, vice sured we learned our craft on the
president, and chair of the Edu- job site. On big shows he would
cation and Membership com- bring in a union crew to work
mittees, and she helped plan the side-by-side with us. I hand-de-
local’s 100-year anniversary livered my application to join
party in 1995.
the union,” she said.
Venetucci worked as a theater
electrician.
was very active
Identity Theft Issues Can Be Devastating in the union She
until 2005, when a
What will you do? Who will you call? How will you
automobile accident resulted in
handle the cost? What are your legal rights?
a partial disability. She disap-
peared for five years.
“Why did I come back? I was
asked,”
she said.
Kroll Advisory & IDShield
In 2010, then-business rep
360-213-8597
Radar Bateman offered her an
T. J. Holder
office job to fill a vacancy. She
Don’t Face This Alone. Call Today
did some dispatching and as-
sisted Bateman where needed.
http://ls-info.com/res/113/404/jholder93
Rose Etta Venetucci has been
elected business representative
of the International Alliance of
Theatrical Stage Employees
(IATSE) Local 28. It is the only
full-time post at the union, and
Venetucci is the first woman to
hold the job in the local’s 122-
year history.
She succeeds Roger Gayton
II, who did not seek re-election.
IATSE Local 28 represents
about 400 stage (members and
extras), wardrobe, and allied
craft workers. They work shows
in Portland at the Keller Audito-
rium, Arlene Schnitzer Concert
Hall, Moda Center, Memorial
Coliseum, and Newmark and
Winningstad theaters. They also
YOUR SOLUTION
Three years later she ran for
president.
President Venetucci reached
out to members, asking them to
volunteer at least once a year in
any event they wanted —
whether it was to support Local
28 or some community group.
“Being a union member has
rights and responsibilities, and
being active is fun and reward-
ing,” she said.
Local 28 members stepped
up. Their union banner can be
seen at most rallies, marches
and protests; the local partici-
pated for the first time in the
Northwest Oregon Labor Coun-
cil’s Muscular Dystrophy “La-
bor Bowl” fundraiser; during
last November’s election, Local
28 sponsored two phone bank
nights — and 68 percent of its
members voted in the election.
The union launched a “Young
Workers Committee” for mem-
bers ages 18 to 35. The group
holds regular gatherings, with
an open invitation to the entire
labor community. And atten-
dance at union meetings contin-
ues to grow.
“The most important part is
showing the importance of the
work and make it fun,” Vene-
tucci said.
In addition to her duties as
business rep, Venetucci sits on
the Executive Board of the
Northwest Oregon Labor Coun-
cil, representing the amusement
trades section for the Oregon
Theatrical Federation. She also
serves on the Oregon AFL-CIO
Committee on Political Educa-
tion (COPE) board.
“I am inspired by many of my
brothers and sisters who have
supported, shared, and educated
me,” Venetucci said. “I hope to
pay it forward, and encourage
all my brothers and sisters to get
active.”
In other IATSE Local 28
election results: Rhiannon Ro-
driguez-Betts was elected pres-
ident; Gayton was elected vice
president; Jay Spottswood was
elected recording secretary; and
Phillip Timmons was elected fi-
nancial secretary/treasurer. Ex-
ecutive Board members are
Katherine Andrews, Kathryn
Mura, Mike Pratt, and Stephanie
Cook.
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August 26, 2017
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