Experienced union organizer Justin Conway was selected as business agent of Camera Local 600-Central Region. He fills the slot vacated in September by Jason Rosin, who’d had the position for five years.
Conway, who started on Nov. 14, represents the central region’s 500-700 members. He cited diversity training and the renewal of the state’s tax credit as top items on the guild’s agenda.
“We will do the best we can in both areas,” he said. “Since both roads lead to the same goal, one doesn’t come without the other. Our expectation is to bring more work into the region, and provide more training with a mind for diversity.”
At this time, however, Conway doesn’t know what diversity policies the union is willing to enact, although he has some ideas for standardizing practices, he said.
Conway had been an organizer with local Teamsters Local 705 (truck drivers, service station and platform workers) for two years. Before that, he worked briefly for the county and municipal employees union (AFSCME) and spent five-and-half years working on behalf of steelworkers.
Conway, however, is not entirely unfamiliar with the film industry. He has a degree in computer animation from Full Sail in Winter Park, Florida and in between organizing for the steelworkers in L.A. at the time, he trained under screen makeup guru Marc Westmore to be a special effects makeup artist.
“I am impressed with him,” said Mark Hogan, Local 476 president. “He comes from a good union family and has a long history of union management.”
Jason Rosin resigned on Sept. 15 to the dismay of many members who praised him “the best business agent we’ve ever had.” Members said Rosin’s resignation was the result of “indirect pressure placed by national president, Gary Dunham, who reacted to a secret investigation of complaints from four or five non-union vendors and producers.”
Conway can be reached at 847/692-2900. Local 600 is located at 1411 Peterson, Park Ridge.
