accomplishments in politics

Politics are all about relationships and the Mid-Winter and Mid-Summer General Executive Board (GEB) meetings are where you build those relationships with other officers throughout the IA. President Jaynes has also used this time to build solid work relationships with IA President Matt Loeb and General Secretary-Treasurer James Wood along with most of the Vice Presidents and Department Directors. Since 2020 President Jaynes has attended all 12 GEBs, 9 in person 3 via zoom.

President Jaynes has been a big supporter of the International Alliance Political Action Committee (IAPAC), both vocally and financially. Not only does the IAPAC support labor friendly causes and politicians, but it is also the reason why freelance workers were included in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) ACT and the Pandemic Emergency Unemployment Compensation (PEUC) Act. It is because of the IAPAC and our IA Lobbyist that many of our members received $600 a week for 79 weeks. During new referent orientation class President Jaynes uses this story to show the importance of being involved in the IAPAC. Because of this in 2024 Local 720 had a 100% increase in both contributors and recuring donors.

In the waning days of the 2024 national election, President Jaynes and Local 720 joined President Loeb and Political Director Tyler McIntosh at an AFL-CIO rally and door knocking campaign in Las Vegas. President Jaynes and Business Representative Apple Thorne were later invited to speak about the experience during the 2025 Mid-Winter GEB in New Orleans. During the Quadrennial this past July President Jaynes spoke of the event again before the entire delegation. It was quite an honor.

The Nevada State AFL-CIO and the CLC are essentially a Union that has Unions as its members. The AFL-CIO is also the largest labor lobbyist in the nation. This is a community that Local 720 needs to be involved with, and we are.

President Jaynes has built relationships with leaders of Teamsters 631, 986, and 14, IBEW 357, IUOE 13, LiUNA 872, the Building Trades of Southern Nevada and many more. Here's a recent story to illustrate the importance of these relationships. In November of last year Business Representative Apple Thorne asked President Jaynes if he knew anyone at IUOE 13. She had heard that they had turned in recognition cards for 2 A/V Techs at Planet Hollywood. President Jaynes informed her that the President of the CLC is with IUOE 13. President Jaynes made the call and 10 days later they dropped their organizing drive, and we turned in cards asking for recognition for those workers. Now we are currently negotiating a facility agreement with Planet Hollwood. 

Within the CLC, President Jaynes is a member of the Policy Committee and the Committee on Political Education (COPE). The Policy Committee is meeting this month to write policy on which candidates they make donations to and rewriting the COPE rules on what makes candidates eligible and the rules for the overall process. The COPE committee interviews all of the politicians that seek an endorsement from the State AFL-CIO. Because President Jaynes sits on that committee, he has been successful in getting Repeal Right to Work questions in the questionnaire. Last cycle President Jaynes was asked to give a talk to all the new legislative candidates about the evils of Right to Work. The CLC meets every second Wednesday of the month, and President Jaynes rarely misses a meeting. 

It's always good to have a relationship with your local politicians because you never know who might move up. President Jaynes had a relationship with Steve Sisolak when he was a Clark County Commissioner and Jaynes was the President of the Southern Highlands Master Association. When Commissioner Sisolak became the Governor they went from talking about parks to talking about Right to Work.

President Jaynes attends the monthly Las Vegas Convention and Vistors Authority (LVCVA) meetings every month and then reports on what's going on during the General Membership Meetings. The LVCVA, under the leadership of Steve Hill and Brian Yost, are doing a great job bringing in visitors to Las Vegas and the City is lucky to have this entity. It's also a good place to catch up with our local politicians that sit on the Board. 

President Jaynes' philosophy on political endorsements is this: if we endorsed you and you failed to support the Film Bills, we should never endorse you again. There were a lot of legislators that disappointed us and most of the labor community last session. There will be some uncomfortable conversations in the future and expect a shorter endorsement list next cycle. 

President Jaynes will continue to do what he has always done as President of Local 720, show up and support our Federal Legislators. During COVID there wasn't a month that went by without a call from Senators Catherine Cortez-Masto and Jacky Rosen, as well as Congress Persons Dina Titus, Steven Horsford and Susie Lee. They all checked in on us and passed along information.