IATSE_1stQrtr_2018_web

the Toronto Centre for the Arts into one
new organization under the direction of
a single City board called Civic Theatres
Toronto (CTT). In October of 2016,
the newly formed CTT hired its first
ever CEO and the amalgamation began
in earnest. A number of management
staff were let go, others were reassigned,
and the job of consolidating operations
began.
In June of 2017, CTT filed an application
at the Ontario Labour Relations
Board to resolve the issue of conflicting
bargaining rights for the front of house
staff (FOH) working at the three venues.
As further background, Local B-173 only
had bargaining rights with the FOH
working at the Sony Centre, where it represented
140 FOH employees. The Canadian
Union of Public Employees (CUPE),
on the other hand, held bargaining rights
for the 39 FOH staff working at the St
Lawrence Centre while the 88 FOH staff
at the Toronto Centre for the Arts did
not have any union representation at all.
Unifor and SEIU held bargaining rights
for some of the various other employees
at the Sony Centre. As an aside, Local
822 holds bargaining rights for wardrobe
workers at all three venues while Local 58
holds bargaining rights for stagehands
working at all three venues.
Through the course of mediation, and
with the assistance of Canadian Counsel
Ernie Schirru, Local B-173 was able to
negotiate a representation vote in the
workplace whereby the approximately
300 FOH employees working at all three
of the CTT venues would vote on whether
they wanted to be represented by IATSE
or CUPE or have no union representation
at all.
Throughout this process and leading
up to the vote on November 17, 2017,
Representatives Hurdon and Brett, with
the assistance of Canadian Counsel
Schirru, Local B-173 President Jeff
McMahan and former Business Agent
Chastity Brooker, engaged in a tireless
campaign setting out the benefits of being
represented by IATSE in an effort to win
over the affected FOH employees working
at all three venues. This included written
messaging, buttons, and t-shirts as well as
face-to-face meetings. The Local’s efforts
were also supported by the Local 822 and
Local 58 executives and their respective
members working in those venues.
Of the 265 eligible voters, 115 cast a
ballot in the vote held on November 17,
2017, with Local B-173 securing 90 votes,
CUPE securing 17 votes and the nonunion
option securing 4. Two votes were
determined by the Ontario Labour Relations
Board to be spoiled and 2 votes were
in dispute. On November 29, 2017, the
Ontario Labour Relations Board issued a
decision confirming Local B-173 to be the
bargaining agent for all FOH employees
at all three CTT venues.
Local B-173’s newly elected Business
Agent George King, with the assistance of
Representative Brett, have since engaged
in discussions with CTT representatives
for the merger of collective agreements
governing the terms and conditions of
employment for all affected employees in
the single larger bargaining unit now represented
by Local B-173.
Representatives Hurdon and Brett
gave special thanks to the efforts of
former Local B-173 Business Agent Chastity
Brooker, Local B-173 member Elliott
Lewis, Local 822 President Diane Luckett-
Reilly, Local 822 Business Agent Michelle
DiCesare, Local 58 President Justin Antheunis
and Local 58 members Wes Allan
and Russel Hawley and International
President Loeb for their respective efforts
in making this campaign a success.
President Loeb congratulated Local
B-173 on securing the bargaining rights
for the front of house employees at the
three theatre venues in Toronto, noting
that it was an example for growth equalling
strength.
LOCAL NO. 8, PHILADELPHIA,
PA
Re: Wilma Theater
International Vice President and
President of Local 8 Michael Barnes,
Local 8 Secretary-Treasurer Christopher
O’Shea and IATSE Special Representative
and Local 8 Organizer Daniel Little
reported on Local 8’s tentative agreement
with the Wilma Theater Company,
located in downtown Philadelphia. A
three-hundred seat LORT C resident
theater company in operation since 1973,
the Wilma is the latest in a string of regional
theaters Local 8 has successfully
organized. Since 2012, Local 8 has organized
the Philadelphia Theater Company,
Bristol Riverside Theater, Media Theater
and presently the Wilma Theater. The
3-year collective bargaining agreement
covers stage and wardrobe workers annual
wage increases, premium pay quality-oflife
improvements, health and retirement
contributions, rest and meal periods.
Vice President Barnes reported that
the Wilma stagehand employees who did
not belong to Local 8 are being offered
membership. Local 8 has grown not just
in numbers but in strength. The Local has
embraced this workforce and as a result
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