Broadcast Technicians bring energy, expertise to Twin Cities PBS studios

September 25, 2023 by

Union members gathered on the set of “Almanac” before a June broadcast included (L to R) Joe Kaczynski, Kai Holm, Scott Trotman, Eric Pagel, Michael Phillips, Annika Johnson, Jon Van Amber, Jim Kron and David Bales.

Every Friday night, the Twin Cities PBS studios in St. Paul’s Lowertown district come to life for a live broadcast of “Almanac.” The award-winning public affairs show runs on PBS stations across Minnesota, and union members have been working behind the scenes since it went on the air nearly 40 years ago.

Around 35 members of the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET/CWA) Local 57411 work at Twin Cities PBS as camera operators, videographers, directors, graphic designers, studio designers, tele-prompter operators and other roles.

The union has had a contract with the station for over 45 years. “Almanac” is its flagship production, but NABET/ CWA members also help produce membership pledge programming, original documentaries, seasonal broadcasts and other specials.

And a new, three-year contract approved earlier this month ensures union members will continue making television for the station. Local 57411 Steward Jon Van Amber said having a union contract ensures stability and professionalism at a time when many broadcasters are looking to increase automation in their productions.

“A lot of places have the robotic cameras now,” Van Amber said during a tour of the “Almanac” set before a broadcast earlier this year. “We’re really proud, from the union point of view, that we have a live crew. You get a lot more energy, and I know the talent really likes it.”

That much becomes clear during a rundown before the live show, as crew members and longtime co-hosts Eric Eskola and Cathy Wurzer walk through the “Almanac” segments – without guests – to nail down their timing and block out the staging.

Camera operator Mike Phillips films “Almanac” co-host Eric Eskola’s opening segment.

Crew members offer their feedback as Eskola workshops a snappy, stand-up opening, improvising his way through several versions before finally settling on the one he will use.

The intensity ramps up on set as the theme music plays and the broadcast begins. In three control rooms behind the scenes, NABET/CWA members provide direction to the camera operators, run the show’s graphics, roll out the closed captioning and more. Members of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 292, meanwhile, operate the sound booth, roll pre-recorded segments and tape the broadcast for streaming on the web.

Local 57411 member Scott Trotman, who started working at Twin Cities PBS in 1996 and is now director and technical director of “Almanac,” said he still gets a few butterflies before every live show.

“If you’re not getting that, you’re probably not going to be at the top of your game,” Trotman said. “You have to be a little on edge to have your senses heightened, and that way you’re ready to do what you need to do if something goes wrong. You’ve got to be ready to react.”

Back on set, camera operators glide across the floor between segments without making a sound. Longtime Floor Director David Bales gets guests mic’d up and into position for interviews while also moving furniture around the set, holding up time cards to keep the segments on schedule and relaying directions from the control room.

For all the intensity of a live show, the “Almanac” set also maintains a sense of ease that stems from the familiarity among talent and crew.

NABET-CWA members work in the “Almanac” control room.

“I like working a live show because you can only do it once, but when you’ve been doing it for so many years like I have, I could do it in my sleep,” camera operator Mike Phillips laughed. “Sometimes I probably have.”

Most NABET/CWA members who work at Twin Cities PBS are part-time employees, giving the station a deep pool of talent to tap for special programs and its pledge drive.

The union’s new contract makes gains on two key issues: staffing and wages. After merging four positions into two during the pandemic – to keep from crowding the control room – the station agreed to bring back all four positions: director, technical director, chyron operator and teleprompter operator.

Union members also won raises of 5% in the new contract’s first year, 3.75% in the second and 3% in the third. Local 57411 President Joe Kaczynski, a photojournalist at WCCO-TV, said that by the union’s calculations, the wage increases should make up for what members lost to COVID cuts and inflation.

“Since they’ve returned to regular production at that station, it sounds like the workload has just been crazy,” he said. “So these negotiations were really beneficial. It’s a good deal.”

– Michael Moore, Union Advocate editor

Filed Under: Community, Union Events Tagged With: , , , , , ,

After leaving auto industry, retired Machinist preps others for entry-level work

March 4, 2021 by

Greg Kinne offers hands-on instruction in the basics of auto mechanics to students at the Twin Cities School. (submitted photo)

Greg Kinne isn’t letting the knowledge he gained over nearly five decades in the automotive industry go to waste in retirement. The former Machinist is sharing what he knows with a new generation of workers at the Twin Cities School.

Kinne, a longtime member of Local Lodge 737, has signed on as a volunteer at the school, housed in founder Jerry L. Griffis’ detailing shop in Columbia Heights. Together, Kinne and Griffis teach the basics of auto detailing and maintenance to young adults struggling to find their career paths.

The free, 12-week course includes opportunities for paid work in Griffis’ shop. The goal, Kinne said, is to give students enough training to land an entry-level job.

“They’re going to know enough about detailing that a shop could take them on and not have to explain everything to them,” he said. “They’re still going to have to learn some things. But I worked 50 years, and I was still learning things when I was done.”

In the classroom, students follow a curriculum developed by Griffis, a former service manager at the White Bear Lake Superstore dealership. He takes the lead teaching auto detailing, and Kinne takes the lead teaching basic mechanics, like changing the oil, rotating the tires and how parts of the car work together.

While detailing is the program’s focus, an introduction to “the other stuff,” Kinne said, makes students more attractive to potential employers, and may spark an interest in pursuing more training to climb the career ladder.

“You wouldn’t be hired out of our program as a technician, but it might give you the idea that you want to go to school and learn more about it,” Kinne said.

But Kinne and Griffis try to offer students more than just garage knowledge.

The Twin Cities School emphasizes so-called “soft skills” necessary for success on the job, and Griffis and Kinne have tapped into their connections in the local auto industry to help find interested students work. Those connections include Local Lodge 737 and union dealerships.

“Union shops, that’s what I push,” Kinne said. “Jerry was a manager – one of the few African American managers in our area, but he worked in a union shop. And I know he’s sat down with Local 737 and talked about the school with them, and they’ve been supportive.

“The union leads the way in this industry. The union contract prices go out, and if the other dealerships don’t pay similar to them, they don’t get people.”

That’s not to mention the union benefits, which include the defined-benefit pension that allowed Kinne to retire five years ago.

Kinne’s career in the automotive industry began in 1972, when he went to work behind the parts counter at Royal Datsun, a union shop on Grand Avenue in St. Paul. His father was the parts manager, and Kinne thought of the opportunity as a stopgap.

But when the business moved to Maplewood in 1981, Kinne moved with it. By 1989, he’d been promoted to parts manager. He left that job in 1997 and worked briefly for a Luther dealership in Minneapolis before taking a position at the White Bear Lake Superstore as a technician.

“I’d kind of burned out on the parts stuff by then,” Kinne said.

He began working as a Hyundai mechanic in 2000, and by the time he retired in 2016, Kinne was one of just a few certified platinum Hyundai technicians in the Buerkle organization, having completed weeks of trainings and passed several evaluations.

Willingness to put in the time and effort it takes to learn new skills is a big part of what made Kinne successful in his career, and he makes a point of emphasizing as much to students at the Twin Cities School, he said.

“I’m not a teacher but I can certainly share experiences – good and bad – with the young men,” Kinne said.

But Kinne added: “I try not to place my history upon their stuff because it’s different.”

Kinne had a father who steered him into a career field, while most students at the Twin Cities School struggled to complete high school or have had run-ins with law enforcement.

“It’s a short program designed to build an interest in working on cars, maybe a career working on cars and a path to livability,” Kinne said. “But it’s just one step. It’s a small niche in a bigger education outreach effort by the community.”

Others are taking notice of the school’s approach. Ramsey and Hennepin counties have referred students to Griffis’ program, which also includes an aviation module. And the school has developed a partnership with St. Paul’s Ujamaa Place, which offers programming to men 17 to 28 years old. (Twin Cities School is open to both men and women.)

Automotive work might not be for everyone who completes the program, but reaching the finish line comes with a sense of accomplishment, Kinne said, both for students and for their instructors.

“It’s a good challenge, and I do enjoy it,” he said. “There are a lot of hurdles to getting guys interested, but the best is having someone who’s been in the class and running into them.

“One guy came up and thanked me for teaching him how to solder. It’s a simple thing, but he came up and wanted to make a point of thanking me for teaching him that. I had to laugh.”

*****

Yes, auto technicians are union members! Machinists Local Lodge 737 represents over 900 mechanics, parts personnel, body workers and service technicians at dealerships in the east metro. Click here to find a list of union shops.

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Carpenters union’s free workshops a hit with kids

January 11, 2016 by
Luca LaFerla puts the finishing touches on his treasure box during a Kids Build workshop at the Carpenters training center in St. Paul.

Luca LaFerla puts the finishing touches on his treasure box during a Kids Build workshop at the Carpenters training center in St. Paul.

Jim Hendricks clapped his hand five times, and the room bustling with more than 30 busy children Saturday morning fell silent. Everyone turned to face Hendricks, a business representative for the Carpenters union, awaiting his instructions.

Holding up two pre-cut pieces of wood, Hendricks demonstrated the method for fashioning them into the sides of a “treasure box,” the carpentry project for this month’s Kids Build workshop in St. Paul.

Some looked puzzled, others determined; but for Hendricks, the young faces staring back at him from the floor of his union’s training center made it worth spending a Saturday morning at the office.

“There are a lot of ups and downs through the week of work, but you always walk out of here with a smile,” Hendricks said. “I don’t know a kid who doesn’t like to build things.”

Launched locally in September by the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, Kids Build has become wildly popular with both families, who fill up the available space within an hour of registration opening, and volunteers, including retired and apprentice carpenters.

Nick Vevea retired in June, but he returns to the training hall on the second Saturday of each month to assist with the two-hour workshops.

“I love working with the kids,” Vevea said. “It’s a great opportunity to share your knowledge.”

“We’re encouraging the spark in the next generation that’s going to come into the career of carpentry,” Local 322 apprentice Jarid Freund said. “But it’s also great to be able to see kids enjoying this work.”

Yuqi Zhao, 7, of St. Paul lines up a screw.
Seven-year-old Mina Howitz (L) and 8-year-old Avery Kaneakua, both of Minneapolis, show off their finished projects after working with Samantha Kaneakua, a fourth-year Carpenters apprentice.
Lead instructor Jim Hendricks, a business rep for the Carpenters union, demonstrates a step in building treasure boxes.
Emma Johnston (L) of Fridley and Skylar Hofer, both 8, share a laugh.
Parents and grandparents take pictures at the end of the workshop.
Participants show off their finished projects.
Abe Mulrooney, 7, of St. Paul works with his father, Tim.
Local 322 apprentice Jarid Freund assists 8-year-old Colin Anderson of Hugo.
Carpenters staff rep Jose Marrero works with his daughter Elise, 10, of Maplewood.
Ten-year-old Aiden Kirchoff of St. Paul sizes up his project.
Each Kids Build participants gets to take home his or her project and receives a personalized certificate.

Open to children ages 5 to 12, Kids Build has been so popular in St. Paul that the Carpenters council has spun off workshops at training centers across its jurisdiction, including in Papillion, Neb., Fargo, N.D., Madison, Wis. and Rochester.

The workshops offer the public an introduction to “who carpenters are and how we help our communities,” apprenticeship director Paul Trudeau said. Kids Build is also an opportunity for the union to show off its world-class training facility and, potentially, recruit new workers to the trade.

“All our members are trained here,” Hendricks said. “That’s why we’re able to build projects like the new stadium. We take pride in the training and safety of our members.”

The events are always free, with materials and tools provided by the union, and the project changes each month, so families are encouraged to return. Previous and future projects include bookends, a birdhouse, soapbox derby cars and more.

“We’re not on a computer – this is hands-on,” Trudeau said. “And when they go home, these kids have something to show their grandparents, their siblings, their neighbors.” Trudeau said.

As Avery Kaneakua, 8, and Mina Howitz, 7, added glitter glue and paint to their treasure boxes, they agreed they’d had fun completing the project, and said they planned to use the boxes to store their electronics.

“And as much pride as every one of those kids has right now, we do too,” Trudeau said.

For more information on Kids Build, go to www.facebook.com/KidsBuildworkshop.

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Summer internships introduce St. Paul teens to construction careers

July 16, 2013 by
UnderConstruction interns (L to R) Andy Johnson, Ger Yang and Marcus Byington saw materials for a new garage in Frogtown.

UnderConstruction interns (L to R) Andy Johnson, Ger Yang and Marcus Byington saw materials for a new garage in Frogtown.

A crew of 12 UnderConstruction interns arrived at a vacant lot in St. Paul’s Frogtown neighborhood before 9 a.m. today. Their task was to build a garage from the ground up, and within two hours the structure had begun taking shape.

The concrete foundation had settled. The framework was up. Interns were taking turns shingling the roof in pairs.

Crouching low to nail a strip of siding onto the garage’s exterior, 17-year-old Sapphire Thompson looked up from her hammer and beamed with pride.

Sapphire Thompson (near) and Pheng Lee nail siding to the garage.

Sapphire Thompson (near) and Pheng Lee nail siding to the garage.

“At first I didn’t believe it. I was like, ‘Are we really going to build a garage?’” the incoming senior at St. Paul Johnson High School said. “But look at this. We’re going to do it.”

Thompson is one of 23 students working as UnderConstruction interns this summer. In its ninth year, the program introduces urban teens, many from minority communities, to careers in the construction trades.

During the eight-week, paid internship, participants receive training in OSHA 10 safety compliance, financial literacy, physical fitness (“making sure they’re limber and nobody gets hurt,” program coordinator Ethan Laubach said with a chuckle) and so-called “soft skills” for employment – time management, communication and the like.

“About 60 percent of this program is work-related skills,” Laubach said. “We’re teaching the construction stuff, but it’s also about how to have a job.”

The curriculum brings interns to several union jobsites and training facilities, including Sheet Metal Workers Local 10, Painters Local 61, Ironworkers Local 512 and the Laborers. A panel of professionals from the management side of the industry talks to interns as well.

The goal, Laubach said, is to get young adults thinking about careers they might not hear about from their guidance counselors or family members.

“Young people don’t get enough exposure to these kind of career options now,” Laubach said. “Schools are pushing people toward college. This is a great way to try things out and get exposed to an industry that offers a wide range of jobs.”

UnderConstruction also exposes the industry to potential hires – or apprentices – from backgrounds currently underrepresented. Laubach launched the program 10 years ago in an attempt to “help the industry absorb people who are not like most people already in the industry, and to get adults in the industry thinking about the emerging workforce.”

It’s working. UnderConstruction boasts a number “graduates” who have gone on to successful careers in construction, including the first Hmong-American project manager in the country – a woman, no less – and a handful of union journeymen.

Aaron Lindsley (left) and Philip Norris apply shingles to the garage roof.

Aaron Lindsley (left) and Philip Norris apply shingles to the garage roof.

Thompson, one of three female interns in the UnderConstruction program this summer, is using the experience to prepare herself for another male-dominated career path. After graduation next spring, Thompson plans to enlist in the military.

“I get picked on sometimes – ‘Let a man handle that!’ – but I like to prove I can do it, and I will do it,” Thompson said. “This kind of gets me set up for what I’m going to have to overcome in the military too.”

A big reason for UnderConstruction’s success is the partnerships Laubach has developed with construction firms like Kraus Anderson, PCL, McGough and Mortenson, as well as agencies like the Department of Labor and Industry and the Frogtown Community Development Corporation.

The vacant lot where Thompson other interns erected a garage today is owned by the Frogtown CDC. Blocks away, another UnderConstruction crew tackled an improvement project at the CDC’s headquarters.

For Marcus Byington, a 15-year-old from St. Paul, the vacant lot provided a first taste of what it’s like to work on a construction jobsite.

“It’s hands on. I love that,” Byington said. “It’s so visual. Putting hammer to nail – you can’t do that on paper. I like the hands-on learning.”

For more information on UnderConstruction, or to find out how your union can get involved in supporting the curriculum, go to the project’s Facebook page.

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