Producer’s Perspective fails to consider the other perspective

The Joyce Theatre in NYC recently had its stagehands ask to have IATSE Local One represent them. The stagehands, and Local One, are hoping that the Joyce Theatre management will work through the first step of the process in a fair manner.  Specifically: if an independent third party, chosen by the theatre, determines that a majority of the stagehands have signed representation cards (as Local One claims), then the Joyce should voluntarily recognize the union as the bargaining agent for the stagehands.  This would then pave the way to begin contract talks.

Ken Davenport, a NYC producer of many Broadway and other shows, has a very interesting blog called Producer’s Perspective.  I include it from time to time in the “More News and Views” section on the right.  (Mr. Davenport was part of the team that recently lost their arbitration with Jeremy Piven, but that’s a whole other can of worms, or fish…)

Yesterday Mr. Davenport posted: “does this seem like the right time for a big and powerful union to try to organize a 472 seat theater, home to a modern dance company?”  His argument was essentially that the union would financially hurt the company, and implied that the union was trying to force its way in.  There are a few problems with this.

First, the stagehands approached the union.  Second, an existing staff at a non-union company cannot be forced to join the union just because the union would like to represent them.  The departments in question must have a majority of their employees sign cards authorizing the union to represent them.  If the majority don’t sign, then the union cannot represent them.  Third, there is no such thing as a “standard union contract.”  Each one is different, and tailored to each employer-employee situation.   Any large group of employers with the same contract agreed to have the same contract as their competitors.  By the same token, there is no such thing as a standard union wage.

This is about job security.  Seat numbers don’t matter.  Budget doesn’t matter.  What matters is keeping the employees happy.  Many non-union theatres do not have any sort of employment agreement with their stagehands, or other employees.  A contract merely gives a set of written expectations for both the employer and employee.  Job duties, pay expectations, approved means of settling disagreements between the two parties, expected dress, tools, working conditions, and anything else that either side would like specified.  Heck, the pay rates can be the same as they were without the contract, but at least now everyone knows what those rates will be.  I am always surprised at the fear so many theatres have of simply writing down and signing a set of terms that will govern the employment of each staff member.

Mr. Davenport may be a member of two unions, but it appears that his primary dealings with Local One as a for-profit producer may have clouded his ability to look at the Joyce Theatre situation from all sides.  In an uncertain economic environment, wouldn’t you want everyone to have some semblance of job security? Especially those who ensure the performance actually goes on every night?

Related (updated 6/29/09): Grand Rapids, MI Local 26 recently offered a wage freeze with its four largest non-profit employers, which was agreed to.

“Our members overwhelmingly wanted to try and help our ailing arts groups that we consider our family because really they are,” said David “Dansir” McCullough, president of Local 26 of IATSE.

Remember, a union works for its members, not the other way around.  This is a great example.

Tags: Grand Rapids, IATSE, Joyce Theatre, Local 26, Local One, NYC, recession, stagehands, theatre, union, website

This entry was posted on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 8:53 pm and is filed under General, economy, movements, stagecraft in the news, union. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.