IATSE: Approximately 80 backstage production workers at Arena Stage, one of the nation’s leading regional theaters, have voted to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). In a National Labor Relations Board election, workers voted overwhelmingly for union representation, with over 85% of ballots cast in favor.
3 comments:
Not only do I think that it's interesting that Arena Stage has voted to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), but I think because they are in Washington DC it sends an even more important message about the importance of unions and collective bargaining. I think something we've seen a lot from the Trump Administration is a push for union busting within certain industries and I think that this is a super important reminder that collective bargaining is extremely important for workers rights, improved working conditions, job security, and overall well-being. I think it's extremely important for workers to be able to join together and fight for the workplaces they inhabit to be safe. I think especially when it comes to arts, it's very easy to exploit people because it's their “passion” however in the end it's also a job and workers deserve a fair and equal protection
The more headlines I see regarding different theaters joining IATSE or unionizing in general the more I realize I truly don't know the extent of unionization in theater. We continuously learn about different unions and what it means in the world of theater because actors are at the forefront of the public view and their unions such as SAG-AFTRA have gone through strife in the somewhat recent past. In the theatrical industry many technicians, specifically stagehand, are not required to join the union but are limited from working at theaters that have unionized. I was surprised to learn that the Arena Stage was not previously unionized because it is a LORT theater. Arena Stages Unionization makes me wonder what percentage of LORT theaters operate under IATSE and primarily employ people who are a part of theatrical unions. In general this article has made me go back and look at what theaters have taken steps to either work with a union or guarantee workers rights through other means.
As a Washington DC area resident, I have always admired Arena Stage for their innovative and high-level industry productions, while still remaining true to their community. Knowing the quality and level of production, I would’ve never guessed that the production workers weren't already unionized, and reading this article was quite a shock on that end. Despite the initial shock I had and disappointment that it took this long for efforts of unionization to pay off for the workers, this is an incredible achievement, and one I hope inspires the rest of the Washington DC theatre industry. From an inside perspective, I always find it surprising how many on the outside of the theatrical industry are unaware of the necessities unions provide for theatrical workers, especially unions like IATSE for production workers. I’m sure the future of Arena Stage will be prosperous with proper worker unionization now and I’m excited to see what the Arena Stage has in store next with these new production measures taken.
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