The Philly Post: It was just weeks ago when a Philadelphia stagehands union strike caused big problems for Philadelphia Theatre Company and its production of The Mountaintop at Suzanne Roberts Theatre, forcing the company to stage the performance there without much of the crew. Now that the Philadelphia Theatre Company strike has been resolved, the stagehands have moved on to their newest target: legendary Philadelphia concert venue The Electric Factory.
2 comments:
It is so great to hear about a a stagehand union taking a stand for what they deserve. It is sad that they have to, but inspiring that they are actively doing things to improve their situation. It is even better to hear that one of the bands that is scheduled to perform is joining them in taking a stand. I know that that will really help them in their cause. I hope they get Erykah on board, but even if she is not willing to cross the line I think they still have a pretty good shot at being successful. Just having even one more publicly noticeable group on board is sure to make a significant difference. I also really love that they have a giant blow up rat at their disposal. I wonder what the story behind that is. Also I rolled my eyes that representatives for the other side were "unavailable for comment" that sounds like a cowards way out if I ever heard one.
There has been a series of posts on this blog about the strikes in Philadelphia, and this post is the most positive one I've seen on here about the situation. It's easy enough to criticize IATSE Local 8 for effectively "shutting down art" in Philly and delaying the shows. But, it's more worth one's time to realize that these stagehands have been treated like dirt for far too long, and given such low pay. I live just under two hours south of Philly, and I've, of course, looked into getting jobs in Philly. Theatre and entertainment jobs, especially not being part of a union, have atrocious pay in Philly. Since I'd have to commute, or pay rent up there to take the jobs, they don't pay enough let someone pay for roommate sharing price rent and the thirty five dollars a week it takes to fill up a gas tank. To some extent, this is okay for me. I'm in college, and I still have the ability to go home. But, how about the thousands of stagehands and theatre technicians who don't have that backup system and aren't in college? Where do they stand in the scheme of making a living? If a college kid can't afford to live on those salaries (and I'm not even accounting bills, groceries, etc), how would someone who isn't a student and has a family, make a living on a $400 contract for a three week run of a show?
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