The FTV Graduate Program is excited to announce the launch of its newest free crash course, Unions, Locals, and Classifications. This course is part of our growing free crash course series designed to give entertainment payroll professionals, production accountants, and finance executives an accessible starting point for building critical industry knowledge. It is the perfect next step for learners who have already taken our popular Intro to Union Payroll crash course, and it also serves as a strong primer for those preparing to dive into advanced FTV courses like Union Payroll Processing and Entertainment Payroll Fundamentals.

With this addition, we are continuing our mission to make specialized industry training more accessible. Many people enter payroll, accounting, or production management roles in film and television without formal training on how entertainment unions function or how they impact day-to-day payroll operations. Our free crash courses bridge that gap by breaking down foundational concepts into short, interactive lessons that anyone can follow, regardless of their background.

Why Unions, Locals, and Classifications Matters

In entertainment payroll, nothing is more central than understanding how crew members are organized and represented. At first glance, union coverage might seem like an abstract concept, but in reality it shapes everything from pay rates to benefit contributions. Our new course walks learners through this structure step by step, starting with unions, then moving down to locals, and finally explaining classifications.

Unions like IATSE and the Teamsters negotiate the broad collective bargaining agreements that set minimum wages, working conditions, and benefit structures for crew members. Locals serve as the chapters of those unions, representing workers by craft or geographic area and ensuring the agreements are enforced. Classifications are the specific job titles within each local such as Camera Operator, Best Boy Grip, or Driver and each one carries its own duties and wage rates.

The course makes these concepts approachable by combining straightforward explanations with interactive case studies and directory demonstrations. Learners get to see how a camera operator in Los Angeles belongs to IATSE Local 600, while a driver in the same city falls under Teamsters Local 399. They also practice using union directories to identify locals in other regions, a real-world skill that payroll teams and line producers need when hiring outside the traditional production hubs.

Building on the Success of Intro to Union Payroll

The launch of Unions, Locals, and Classifications continues the momentum from our earlier free crash course, Intro to Union Payroll. That course gave learners a high-level overview of how union payroll differs from non-union payroll, introducing terms like CBAs, rate sheets, and benefit contributions. It helped demystify the complexity of union payroll for newcomers, many of whom had never worked with a union agreement before.

This new course takes the next logical step. Where Intro to Union Payroll set the stage, Unions, Locals, and Classifications zooms in on the union structure itself and explains how the pieces fit together. By learning how unions, locals, and classifications interact, learners build the knowledge they need to understand why payroll rules vary between crafts, locals, and regions. It is the bridge between a broad introduction and the more advanced courses that explore payroll processing in detail.

Preparing Learners for Advanced Training

At FTV Consulting, we designed the FTV Graduate Program to meet learners where they are. Not everyone is ready to jump straight into a comprehensive training like Union Payroll Processing or Entertainment Payroll Fundamentals. For some, starting with a free crash course is the perfect way to test the waters and build confidence before committing to a larger program.

Unions, Locals, and Classifications works as that primer. By the end of the course, learners will understand why a Grip in Atlanta might be represented differently than a Grip in Los Angeles, how classifications drive wage rates, and why accurate classification is the foundation of compliance. These are the kinds of details that become critical in advanced trainings, where we teach payroll accountants and production teams how to process timecards, calculate fringes, and manage union audits. Learners who complete this crash course will find that they are better prepared to succeed in those more complex courses.

Interactive and Accessible Learning

Like all FTV Graduate Program offerings, Unions, Locals, and Classifications is built for interactive online learning. Each module is delivered in short, engaging slides that use case studies, knowledge checks, and tool tips to reinforce learning. Instead of passively reading about union structures, learners actively practice identifying locals, matching classifications to duties, and exploring how job titles connect to rate sheets.

The course is designed to take about 30 to 40 minutes, making it easy to complete in a single sitting. It is also free to enroll, removing barriers for those who want to start learning but may not yet be ready to invest in a full training program. By offering high-quality, no-cost education, we are helping to raise the baseline knowledge of the entire industry while giving learners a clear pathway to more advanced coursework.

Looking Ahead

With the addition of Unions, Locals, and Classifications, the FTV Graduate Program now offers multiple free crash courses that cover the fundamentals of union payroll. These courses are designed to work together, giving learners a strong foundation before moving on to more advanced training. The positive feedback from our learners confirms that this approach works. They value the chance to build knowledge in smaller steps and appreciate the practical, job-ready focus of our curriculum.

As our program continues to grow, we are committed to expanding the range of free and paid courses available, ensuring that payroll professionals, accountants, and production leaders have the tools they need to succeed. Whether you are brand new to entertainment payroll or looking to sharpen your skills for your next production, the FTV Graduate Program is here to help you reach the next level.