The Handweavers Guild of America (HGA) announced today that it will significantly increase teacher compensation at its annual conference, Convergence®, taking place July 6-12 in Reno, Nevada. After conducting an internal survey and comparing compensation packages at regional, national, and international fiber arts festivals the changes were made in order to keep the conference pay competitive.
Image via @weavinghouseco
Executive Director Elizabeth Williamson detailed the changes in an email to members today. They include the following:
- Removing the non-compete clause for Convergence® Leaders.
- Increasing the Convergence® Leader teaching rate from $70/hour to $100/hour.
- Increasing travel reimbursement and making it more equitable. Previously the HGA required a Convergence® Leader to teach 19 hours to receive up to $350 in travel reimbursement. Beginning with our 2018 Convergence® in Reno, travel reimbursement will be awarded in increments of $50 for every 3 hours a Convergence® Leader teaches, not to exceed $700. So if you were to teach a 1-Day Workshop (6 hours) you would qualify for up to $100 in travel reimbursement.
- Increasing hotel compensation. Previously HGA required a Convergence® Leader to teach a minimum of 13 hours before they would cover a portion of their hotel expenses. Going forward a Convergence® Leader will need to teach a minimum of 6 hours for HGA to cover a portion of their hotel expenses.
Weaver Andrea Mielke Schroer of Mielke Fiber Arts in Mauston, Wisconsin, was pleased to hear about the changes. “This is progress,” she says.
This is brilliant! Now let’s see the other fiber arts conventions step up to this. Teachers are the most poorly paid piece in the convention puzzle, but ironically they are the BACKBONE of these events, and the main reason so many folks show up to them!