by James Parks, Apr 20, 2011
With workers under attack across the nation, all the major theaters in the Seattle area affirmed their support for workers everywhere to organize and bargain collectively. In a statement, the 24 theatrical, sound and stagecraft employers, who all have contracts with the Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 15, said:
We are proud to be a union employer. We are committed to bargain fairly and in good faith with our employees, and to maintaining our history of respect for, and cooperation with, the labor community.
Said Local 15 President Andrew Willhelm:
This says loud and clear that Seattle is still a union town. Just as in Wisconsin, the public supports labor. We’re doing all we can to make sure that corporate interests don’t hijack our government, the way they have in Wisconsin.
In addition to signing the statement, Seattle theaters joined in the We Are One national day of action April 4 by putting up signs honoring their relationship with unions.
“Our theatrical employers share our vision for social justice,” said Bess Sullivan, who chairs Local 15’s Defense Committee.
I spent a week at the State Capitol in Wisconsin with the thousands of public sector workers fighting back against union-busting, and we want to make a clear statement that we won’t tolerate that kind of attack in Washington.
“Our goal [on April 4] was to involve our members, and not just have a statement from our union,” said Amanda Quinn, a Seattle stagehand who coordinated the local’s We Are One actions.
We had our members raising issues with their coworkers and employers at their worksites, and planned an action at a location where many of our members work.
In addition to the 24 employers signing the Local 15 statement, the Seattle City Council unanimously passed a resolution reaffirming the city’s “support for public employees to organize and to bargaining collectively,” and opposed “any attempt to restrict or eliminate collective bargaining in the State of Washington.”
