Local 40’s Stahoski Paying it Forward From the Sony Lot
Local 40’s David Stahoski is the shop steward with a steady hand and unflappable demeanor. His more than three decades of on-the-ground experience is guided by a simple, singular focus: get the job done right.
Over those 30-plus years, including his current position as shop steward at Sony Pictures, Stahoski has seen his fair share, from the serious to the sublime, while simultaneously serving as unofficial mentor to the younger generation of Local Brothers and Sisters—a role he embraces.
We caught up with the veteran Local 40 member recently where he reflected on his multi-layered responsibilities and what the future holds for himself and the younger members beginning their union journey.
Q: You’ve worked at many different levels in your union career. What are some of the lessons you’ve kept with you in your role now as shop steward at Sony?
DS: I’ve been in Local 40 since 1994. You just learn over the years how to prioritize and deal with different problems as they come up. It’s an honor to be asked to represent the hall and look out for the Brotherhood and Sisterhood. As you get more experience you learn how to strike a balance between the needs of the different people who run production on the lot while managing the daily logistics. You have to be the traffic cop and make sure the rules are enforced at the same time.
Q: What’s your approach to making sure you find that balance?
DS: The reality is, every single member is a steward. Like today, a generator showed up on the lot without any notice. When generators show up on the lot we need to make sure they’re manned by a Local 40 operator. If somebody sees a generator operating, they have every right to speak up and ask if they’re a Local 40 member or ask me as a steward to check. On the bigger lots having members speak up is even more important. We all have to play that role.
Q: Are there particular skills that make a successful shop steward?
DS: Your job as steward is to represent the membership because you’re an extension of the hall. A steward’s job is to enforce the agreement and protect the membership. You also have to be flexible and willing to do whatever needs to be done to solve a problem—that and using good judgment, and good judgment comes from experience. Being part of a union is doing what’s best for the membership—not yourself personally—as a whole.
Q: What lessons did you learn from other stewards that you carry with you today?
DS: There are a lot of things I’ve learned from the stewards I’ve worked with. I think the biggest lesson is that with every problem you encounter you learn a little bit, and that changes your perspective of what’s acceptable, what’s not, and how you address that issue if it ever comes up again. Part of being a steward is mentorship—acquiring knowledge and passing it on to the next generation.
Q: The entertainment industry is undergoing another set of new production challenges. What do you tell younger members when you talk to them about the future?
DS: If there’s a trade to get into at this point, it’s electrical work. If you want the potential for a steady, well-paying career, the trade to get into is electrical work. You put in five years, you get paid to go to school, and you turn out with no debt and have a career that you can take anywhere in the United States. A skilled trade isn’t going away in the next 20, 30 years. There’s always going to be a need for people who can work with their hands.
Q: As you look back, what has being a Local 40 member meant to you and your family?
DS: I believe in the union cause and the life it’s afforded me and enabled me to provide for my kids as well as the betterment of the union as a whole. I’m proud to be a member of Local 40.
