The Two Faces of Union Busting A letter to Everett Herald Reporters, March 8, 2005

I am one of the stagehands affected by the picketing tomorrow of the Duran-Duran concert at the Everett Event Center by the stagehand union, IATSE Local #15.

I'm the face of both sides of union busting, and I'd love the opportunity to share my perspective of what's at stake down on EEC's loading dock. I've been a union stagehand intermittently over the past five years as a back-up job to having been laid off several times as a psychotherapist working with foster care kids. As budgets go, I go- 911, Boeing downturns, Washington's economy, neocons who have "starve the beast mentality,"....and it's one more call to the union dispatch.

A year ago, I received regular stagehand union work at the Everett Event Center. I got paid 19.50/hour, plus a buck or so toward medical and pension. When the union had plenty of work to offer me I paid my bills and was current on my rent. But the union is locked out of Everett, and is losing ground throughout the Northwest to private stage production companies like SEFX of Enumclaw and GERM of Mercer Island. When the union stopped calling me due to a lack of work, I had to go with the competition. Now, the majority of my work is with GERM.

GERM is the stage labor company that has the current contract for the Everett Event Center. Most workers with GERM earn $11/hr or less, and as a highly skilled professional I am at the top end of their pay scale at $12.50/hr, with no overtime after 8 hours and no benefits. Plus, I pay a sizeable portion of my L & I insurance, a sum nearly equal in terms with my union dues percentage at 3.5%. By the way, I generally do not have to make an L & I contribution on union gigs.

I am grateful for all the work GERM gives me, but I am now four months behind in my rent even though I take every call I can get my hands on, and I still send out lots of resumes and scour the Sunday job classifieds.

I don't think people in Everett know that when the last of Duran-Duran's trucks pull out from the EEC tomorrow night, there is a likelihood one or two GERM employees will be walking to their cars parked somewhere on the side streets of Everett, climb in the back seat and go to sleep, because they have no home to go to. At least that is what some of the ERM guys have told me on other gigs. And if the landlord to whom I owe rent wasn't a friend of mine where would I be? Out on the street as well. That is the way it is in the world of the lowest bidder.

Is Everett proud that their foremost cultural landmark chooses not to pay its stagehands sufficient wages to have a place to live? I don't think so. Is GERM a union buster? Not really, at least not overtly. It's just a company going with the flow these days in the Wal-Martization of America. Lowest prices to those who can still afford them, and damn the collateral damage.

I won't be picketing with Local 15 because I want to honor my guys at GERM. Nor will I cross their picket line because I want to honor my union and it's commitment to a living wage. But, I'll be telling my story to everyone who will listen. I'll be eating lunch at the Hawaiian restaurant across from the EEC around noon. Stop by if you'd like to chat. I'll be the balding, fat guy with fire in his eyes.         © Bruce A. Smith   2004       previous       next