IATSE, Local 22 Training Department

What IATSE, Local 22 Training Department does

IATSE Local 22 Training Department is the training and education arm of IATSE Local 22, a labor union local chartered in 1894 and affiliated with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), AFL-CIO, CLC. The local represents stagehands, riggers, and AV technicians across the Washington DC greater metropolitan area (DC, Maryland, and Virginia), supplying skilled labor to 24+ venues including Capital One Arena, the Kennedy Center, MGM National Harbor, the Washington Convention Center, Gaylord National, Wolf Trap, D.A.R. Constitution Hall, and Jiffy Lube Live. Operations are run from a 44-employee headquarters at 1810 Hamlin St. NE, Washington, DC, with Business Agent Ryan Chavka as the single point of contact (202-269-0212) for employer labor requests.

The organization's core services are: (1) a referral-based labor dispatch system managed via the GameChanger online platform (website and mobile app), which routes tiered D/C/B/A referral lists to employers based on test passage and accumulated hours; (2) a three-tier testing and qualification system (C, B, A tests) with written and practical components covering carpentry, fly systems, rigging, audio, video, props, lighting, and power distribution, requiring an 85% passing grade with anonymous scoring and an appeal process; and (3) training and education resources provided to active members and CBA-covered workers via partnerships with LinkedIn Learning and AVIXA, routed through the IATSE Training Trust Fund and the Local 22 Training Trust. Distribution is regional and channel-led: a one-call Business Agent model for employer bookings, GameChanger for member-side work call notifications, and a union-hall/email-order channel for branded merchandise.

The revenue model is non-profit union dues plus ancillary fees and merchandise. The primary stream is quarterly per-capita dues of $66 per member (set by the International union); secondary streams include a one-time membership application fee of at least $200 (refunded if the applicant is not voted in) and branded merchandise sales ($20-$66 per item). Employer customers are venues, promoters, and event production companies; worker "customers" are stagehands, riggers, and AV technicians who access the referral list, testing pathways, training resources, and benefits including the IATSE Annuity Fund, Pension and Welfare Portal, and Stagehand Emergency Relief Fund. The local operates under collective bargaining agreements and a Referral Rules and Procedures document (updated 4.1.2025) that govern dispatch eligibility.

Name

IATSE, Local 22 Training Department

Legal name

IATSE Local 22

Website

https://iatselocal22.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IATSE Local 22 Training Department operates the training, testing, and referral-dispatch services for IATSE Local 22, supplying stagehands, riggers, and AV technicians to 24+ venues across the Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia metro area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues (Per Capita): Quarterly per capita stamp payments of $66 per member, as set by the International union.
2. Membership Application Fees: Application fee of at least $200 paid by applicants, returned if not accepted by membership vote.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts ($20-$32), polo shirts ($66), sold at union hall or shipped via email order.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IATSE Local 22 is a labor union local that supplies tested and qualified stagehands, riggers, and AV technicians to live event venues, theaters, arenas, and convention centers in the Washington DC metropolitan area. The local operates a referral-based dispatch system accessible through a Business Agent and the GameChanger platform, a tiered (C, B, A) testing and certification system governing worker advancement, and member training resources via LinkedIn Learning and AVIXA partnerships.

Product overview

IATSE Local 22 is a labor union representing stagehands, riggers, and AV technicians in the Washington DC greater metropolitan area. The organization's primary services include a referral-based job dispatch system, a three-tier testing and qualification system (A, B, and C tests) for career advancement, training and education resources through LinkedIn Learning and Avixa partnerships, and member resources including pension, annuity, and emergency relief programs. Workers access these services primarily through the GameChanger online platform for referrals and test applications, with merchandise available for purchase.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Testing and Qualification System (A, B, C Tests) A three-tier testing system (C, B, and A tests) that evaluates stagehand skills and knowledge through written and practical components (10-12 practical stations per test), enabling workers to advance up the referral list. Tests cover stagecraft topics including shop and stage carpentry, fly system operation, rigging, audio, video, props, lighting, and power distribution, with an 85% passing grade and anonymous scoring plus appeal process.
• Referral-Based Job Dispatch Service Referral-based labor dispatch service providing tested, qualified stagehands, riggers, and AV technicians to 24+ venues in the Washington DC metro area. Employers access the service through a single Business Agent contact (24/7 availability), and workers are dispatched from tiered referral lists (A, B, C, D) based on seniority and test level via the GameChanger platform.
• Local 22 Branded Merchandise Branded merchandise available for purchase by members and supporters, including t-shirts featuring the IATSE 22 'bug' logo ($20-$32), union pride items, hi-viz safety shirts ($21), and polo shirts ($66). Available for pickup at the union hall or shipped via email order to [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• 130+ years of continuous operation supplying professional live event workforce

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• LinkedIn LearningcoreTechnology or IntegrationActive IATSE members and those working under IATSE agreements have unlimited access to the LinkedIn Learning online library of high-quality instructional videos across a wide spectrum of technologies, provided through the IATSE Training Trust Fund.
• AVIXAcoreTechnology or IntegrationIn conjunction with the IATSE Training Trust Fund, union workers have special access to AV-specific training and AVIXA membership benefits for professional development in audio-video technologies.
• IATSE Training Trust FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization providing training resources including LinkedIn Learning access and partnership with AVIXA for union members and referral workers under IATSE agreements.
• Local 22 Training TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal training trust fund providing training and education resources to Local 22 members and those working under Local 22 collective bargaining agreements.
• GameChangercoreTechnology or IntegrationOnline platform used for referral applications, test applications, work call notifications, and member account management. Workers log in via website or mobile app to apply for tests and receive work dispatch notifications.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IATSE Training Trust Fund: Parent IATSE training organization that delivers LinkedIn Learning, AVIXA, and craft-specific training to all IATSE members including Local 22. Operates the training backbone that Local 22's Training Department distributes to its members.
• IATSE Local 33 (Hollywood Stagehands): Los Angeles-based IATSE local covering stagehands, projectionists, and live event technicians. Direct peer running the same tiered referral and testing system for live entertainment venues.
• IATSE Local 728 (Hollywood Stage Lighting): Specialized IATSE local for stage lighting professionals in the LA market. Comparable skill-discipline testing and referral structure, even if narrower in scope.
• IATSE Local 600 (International Cinematographers Guild): Large IATSE local representing motion picture technicians. Peer under the same international union umbrella with comparable testing, referral, and training infrastructure for technical crafts.
• IATSE Local 2 (Chicago Stagehands): Chicago-area IATSE local dispatching stagehands and production labor to theaters, arenas, and convention venues. Most directly comparable mid-to-large IATSE local outside NYC/LA.
• IATSE Local 1 (New York Stagehands): Sister IATSE local representing stagehands, riggers, and AV technicians in the New York City metro area. Operates the same referral, testing, and dispatch model as Local 22 in a different geography.

Others

• AVIXA: Global trade association for the AV industry that delivers the AV training partnership used by IATSE Local 22. Adjacent ecosystem participant and training-content provider rather than a labor competitor.
• Local 22 Stagehand Emergency Relief Fund (SERF): In-house mutual aid program run by IATSE Local 22 for members in financial hardship. An adjacent member-services vehicle that operates within the same organizational perimeter as the Training Department.

Broad incumbents

• American Federation of Musicians (AFM): National labor union for professional musicians. Operates a similar membership-and-referral structure for live performance work, overlapping with IATSE at concert and theatrical events.
• Teamsters Local 639 (Film and Entertainment): Entertainment-focused Teamsters local providing drivers, location managers, and production support for live events and film. Comparable labor-dispatch model in the same DC-area live event ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iatse-local-22-training-department

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IATSE, Local 22 Training Department