Possible strike at the Kimmel Center and other theaters
Frustrated by a lack of progress in contract talks, about 150 members of the union representing the city's theatrical ushers, box office staff, stagehands and wardrobe workers held a noisy, if well-behaved, demonstration Thursday night in the middle of Broad Street in front of the Kimmel Center.
Possible strike at the Kimmel Center and other theaters
Peter Dobrin, Inquirer Classical Music Critic
Frustrated by a lack of progress in contract talks, about 150 members of the union representing the city’s theatrical ushers, box office staff, stagehands and wardrobe workers held a noisy, if well-behaved, demonstration Thursday night in the middle of Broad Street in front of the Kimmel Center.
With their contract with the Kimmel up at 12:01 Saturday morning, local leaders of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees said they were prepared to shut down the Kimmel, Academy of Music and Merriam Theater – all managed by Kimmel Center Inc. - if a deal cannot be reached.
A strike authorization vote of all 1,100 members of the union local was unanimous, said Michael Barnes, business agent for IATSE Local 8.
Kimmel Center president Anne Ewers said that at least initially, the Kimmel would not bring in replacement workers to keep the halls open in the event of a strike.
“For us to continue to perform without them would not be a sign of good faith,” she said.
The strike would come just as the arts season is getting under way. The Opera Company of Philadelphia opens with Carmen Friday night in the Academy. Singer Audra McDonald is scheduled in Verizon Hall Saturday night. The Philadelphia Orchestra starts its season – also under a cloud of difficult labor negotiations – with a free performance Thursday night for college students in Verizon Hall.
“It would be tragic,” said Ewers of the potential strike.
Negotiations for a new three-year labor deal are scheduled to continue Friday. “I’m very, very hopeful we can find a win-win,” Ewers said. The Kimmel had asked for a contract extension, but the union refused, she said.
Barnes said his workers sought a three percent raise, while the Kimmel was offering a wage freeze.
“Everyone is fragile in this economy, and we felt we needed to be strong because people can’t afford to take these kinds of increases,” said Ewers.
The 150 or so union members stood in the middle of Broad Street Thursday night during and after the Kimmel’s k.d. Lang concert, broadcasting through a megaphone messages about working conditions and a fair contract as concertgoers left the theater.
It would be helpful to learn how much these guys are making, and how much of that pay is passed on to the ticket buyers. IATSE's website suggests that they do not include skilled tradesmen such as carpenters or electricians; why exactly do we need unionized ushers and ticket sellers?— J H- To clarify, The I.A.T.S.E. represents the Lighting Technicians, Audio Technicians, Theatrical Carpenters, Flymen {who make curtains & other goods go up & down} and Riggers {who safely install semi-permanent overhead equipment} also wardrobe and hair & make-up technicians. and at some venues the ticket sellers. — Wuz
- It would be helpful to learn how much these guys are making, and how much of that pay is passed on to the ticket buyers. IATSE's website suggests that they do not include skilled tradesmen such as carpenters or electricians; why exactly do we need unionized ushers and ticket sellers?— J H
- The electricians have their own Local.
As far as what they make... Why the heck do you care? Only in Philthy do people think that others should earn $7.00 an hour for life!— gosixers - Why would we care? Because it jacks up ticket prices for a job that can be done by a teenager for $7/hr. Selling tickets is not exactly a career.
— verve - Must be nice to just take off work and complain, not get fired, and get a pay raise that no one outside of a union has gotten in years. Where do I sign up, I'm pretty sure that my master's degree qualifies me to sell tickets.— verve
- Let them strike, then replace them. Its that simple.— psyrus
- In some cities, ushering at symphonies is done by trained volunteers; the benefit....free pass to view the shows.— cadguy
- Let them strike – they are overpaided and price themselves out of the market. Union guys are just a bunch of punk bullies who can’t stand on their own two feet and need a gang to force their way through life. Stagehands, teamsters, and ushers have a cake ride in theaters – they have nothing to complain about. Maybe if they watched the news or picked up a paper they would know that our economy sucks and guaranteed raises have not been seen by most over the past few years. Get in line – you’re not special.— Joe1970
- Where is your proof? Have you ever been part of a crew at a show? Now on the other hand if we were talking sports i would 100% agree with you but we are talking about down to earth people. When you are dealing with the entertainment industry you are not guaranteed that you will always be working. It is not your 9-5 type of job. There are hazards on this type of job.The hours can be long and the work hard. When setting up a show there may be a call for so many hands. When the setup is complete most of the crew is sent home till the end of the show to load it out. They do not work every day like a normal job. There are times where a union stagehand goes without work for weeks on end. The Union members either get paid by the venue or the promoter of the show. Maybe you should talk to your local politicians while you at it and ask them about how they can vote themselves pay raises and get all the perks like a taxpayer paid office and staff as well as a car before going after hard working stage hands. — M Rocker
- Jobs
- A shame it had to come to this. The Orchestra can throw millions to their attorneys for legal fees and the Kimmel can spend $300K to simulcast the Opera, and hire people for six figures to work 12 weeks a year... but the middle class stagehands (who build those nice sets you see) and ticketsellers (who balance the millions of dollars in sales) can't make a living? If you have anger over your ticket prices... you're barking up the wrong tree concerning waste.— 44
- I agree with you to a point. The story talks about ticket sellers. I am sure they have some in house people for that for sales at the venue ae: Day of show and will call windows. The majority of the ticket sales unfortunately are sold through ticket brokers as well as Ticket Master. Her is the real culprit. When you are dealing with TM they are getting their money from both ends. First part is they tack on a service charge on the venue and act. Secondly they tack on a whole bunch of other charges to us the buyer. A couple of years ago i wanted to get tickets for a show that had a face value of $25. I started the on line order form and when I got to the checkout page the total cost of the 2 tickets would have cost me $74.50. this is where we are paying the price not with the people running the venues with the exception of venues run or owned by Live Nation since they are ticket master as well. — M Rocker
- I'm with 44! Further, you pay what you pay for tickets to the ballgames without complaint. Pony up and let the people make a living. Just a shame it can't be outsourced to people overseas presently making sneakers on dirt floors for pennies, is probably what these self-righteous creeps are thinking. Anyone NOT starving to death on their wages is the enemy, right? Anyone with a pension and health insurance is to be reviled as a thief, right? A freeloader? Shame on the US public that it has come to this for the working man and woman.— xkarivalis
- I am an I.A.T.S.E. Stagehand, although not in Philadelphia.
I only work on days where there is a show, so wages do not tell the story of what stagehands earn.
Last year I made $6,000 for the year.
No insurance. No Retirement.
Some one tell me that I'm over paid.— Wuz
Peter Dobrin is a classical music critic and culture writer for The Inquirer. Since 1989, he has written music reviews, features, news and commentary for the paper, covering such topics as the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the Venice Biennale, expansion of the Curtis Institute of Music, the Philadelphia Orchestra's bankruptcy declaration in 2011, Philadelphia's evolving performing arts center and the general health of arts and culture.
Dobrin was a French horn player. He earned an undergraduate degree in performance from the University of Miami, and received a master's degree in music criticism from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, where he studied with Elliott Galkin. He has no time to practice today.
