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$10 Off Stagehands Wages at WaMu Theatre
Even though First and Goal allows Event Resource Management (ERM), the stage
labor purveyor for Iggy Pop and the Stooges on April 27th, 2007, to pay low
ages with no benefits or safety training - you will save no money on your
concert ticket! Paul Allen and First & Goal continue to drive down wages but
receive our taxpayer subsidies.
Who IATSE Local 15 are and what we do:
Our Local union was formed over 100 years ago in Seattle as part of the
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees. We have represented
thousands of workers in that time doing almost as many jobs. As stage
technicians, we work behind the scenes to make events happen. Everything
from rigging to building scoffolding, from sound to lighting, from
projecting movies for the Seattle International Film Festival to building
and running the Seattle Opera’s Wagner Ring cycle. It’s a job which
requires long hours and one which has, for many years, been a life-long
career for many people in the entertainment industry.
There's a staggering amount of technical information you accumulate as
a stagehand. After you spend a few years at it you find you can answer
questions about structural carpentry, electrical distribution, the
mechanics of light, the mathematics of rigging, crew organization,
production economics and safety factors from memory. This is to say
nothing of being a full-time drama critic as well.
Over the past several years, a number of entertainment labor contractors
have sprung up in the northwest. These contractors often rely on
unskilled, temporary labor to reduce their costs. They pay low wages and
little or no benefits or training to the workers. We feel that this
compromises the quality of work as well as workers' rights.
Why Qwest Field and the Seahawks?
In 2003, we approached First and Goal and hoped to begin negotiating a
contract for the stage work done in their arena. We believed that a
publicly funded stadium should be a responsible employer and promote a
living wage for its employees. They explained that they wanted to remain
competitive by allowing the promoter to decide who to use for stage labor.
And although we were slightly confused at the competitiveness between the
Seahawks Stadium and any other 65,000 seat venue in the area, we were able
to work out a document which puts Local 15 as the preferred, albeit not
exclusive provider, and after a small informational leafletting of a
couple of Seahawks games, reached a labor harmony agreement. This
agreement stipulates the rates and conditions that would apply to any
stage work done in Qwest Field, should a promoter decide to use an alternate
labor
source. While this didn't get us a contract with the stadium, it did
ensure that anyone doing stage work in the arena would be receiving a
living wage and access to benefits.
In 2006, a Kenny Chesney concert was held in Qwest Field, and its promoter
chose to use a stage labor source called Event Resource Management (ERM).
During this time, Local 15 managed to have several of our members get
hired to ensure that our agreement with First and Goal was kept. What we
found was that ERM did not meet the expectations of the rates and
conditions. And while we were not totally surprised by this, what did
surprise us was that ERM violated State and Federal labor law on at least
four occasions, in particular are some meal and rest break violations, as
well as the more egregious violations of moving their payroll week around
in an effort to avoid paying overtime.
No Benefits, No Training, No Future
Because this was a violation of our agreement with First and Goal, we all
sat down again to discuss the statements made to us by employees. In this
meeting, First and Goal asked if we would make a proposal to become
employees for the venue and do all the stage labor for both the Arena and
the since named Wamu Theater. We presented a proposal which we felt,
without being able to see any of the actual costs or hours of the shows,
would provide a living wage, retirement and health benefits to those
working for First & Goal as their new stage labor employees. After
reviewing the proposal for two weeks, during which time a Rolling Stones
show was put into the bowl and more labor law violations occurred, First &
Goal called and stated they were simply not interested in signing an
agreement with Local 15. To say it wasn't the counterproposal we were
looking for would be understatement.
Subsequently, First & Goal's decision to continue using an employer with
a known history of violating worker's rights does not sit well with
either our Local, or the King Co. Labor Community. We believe
the use of public money to build a facility should result in a facility
to be truly enjoyed by all and be an asset to the community, not a
detriment to this area's high standard of living and quality of life. If
you have any questions, feel free to email organize[@]ia15.org.
LINKS In the Media:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003578792_qwestworkers19m.html
http://www.realchangenews.org/2007/2007_04_04/unpaidtime.html
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