The Year in Theater

The membership, Executive Board and officers of Local 784 were faced with challenges and set some very high goals for 2009. The contracts with our three largest employers were up for renegotiation. Also, our rate sheet – the Green Sheet – expired at the end of 2008, and with stricter legal restrictions on benefit funds as well as the desire for real agreements with real protection for workers and the union, we sent our standard agreement to our long term non‐signatory employers and opened negotiations for term agreements. We were faced with obstacles on all fronts. The economic downturn made our current employers reluctant to make improvements to our contracts – some even wanted rollbacks. And many of our non‐signatory employers didn’t want to open negotiations for what some of them considered to be just a few days of employment per year. The leadership of Local 784 worked with our counterparts at other locals in the Bay Area as well as officers from other wardrobe and motion picture locals across the country, representatives in the New York and Los Angeles offices of the IATSE and various International Representatives. We set out to do the work and succeeded to various degrees.

One of our first contacts from an employer was the Ballet San Jose– and their contract wasn’t even up for re‐negotiation. The Ballet had looked at the economic climate combined with the demise of AMT and jumped on the opportunity to present more performances at the Center for Performing Arts in San Jose. They asked all the bargaining units to take a five percent rollback on wages to make their goals for extending runs a reality. The IATSE units were reluctant; however, representatives of Local 784 got together with representatives of Local 134 and met with San Jose Ballet to discuss the Ballet’s plans. In the end, both IA Locals agreed to partner with the Ballet and give them a rollback contingent upon a Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase for the following year, with a three percent “floor” – meaning that we get at least a three percent increase, and if the CPI is higher, we get that increase. We will negotiate with Ballet San Jose again in 2010 when our original agreement expires. If their plan pays off, we should see some meaningful improvements in the new term.

San Francisco Ballet also contacted Local 784 early and asked for give‐backs. San Francisco Ballet had a budget shortfall and devised a formula to fill the gap with a one year give back for all bargaining units. Ultimately, with the help of Local 16, we were able to meet the Ballet’s goal contingent upon a wage increase next year in addition to the expiration of the one year rollback on vacation that was ratified by the membership in November. In year two, the Ballet will also begin contributing to the Local 784 Training Fund.

Our negotiations with the San Francisco Opera were more complicated. The Opera proposed a freeze on wages as well as removing the sick pay mechanism in the old contract. In exchange they offered an Audience Development Premium added to all performance calls, and Local 784 was able to negotiate a new sick pay mechanism that pays out sick pay with every paycheck, just like our vacation pay. The Opera also agreed to contribute to our new Training Fund, which will improve the employability of our membership across the board as well as strengthening Local 784 for the future.

Local 784’s negotiations with ACT were more frustrating. We had hoped to achieve some significant improvements, but were forced to accept a one year extension on the current agreement with a few minor changes. We’ll go back in the summer of 2010 with our same proposals to fix the inequity between wardrobe and other departments. As the economy improves, so do our chances of negotiating improvements.

With some employers our work is ongoing, but Local 784 also had success with some “Green Sheet” employers. While we have had relationships with these employers, we’ve never had real term agreements that afford the assurance that Local 784 workers will be employed and wages and conditions will be guaranteed with strong Scope, Jurisdiction and Grievance and Arbitration language.

We entered into a jurisdiction‐wide term agreement with Live Nation which has already seen some added jobs. Local 784 represented workers have been at the Masonic Auditorium – a venue recently acquired by Live Nation. We’ve also had additional calls at the Sleep Train Pavilion. Our contract with Live Nation includes employer contribution to out Training Fund as well as three percent wage increases in years two and three. It is not an ideal contract but is a starting point to move forward and grow.

Oracle Arena in Oakland was difficult. When we filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), SMG – the company that runs the Arena – agreed to a side letter to their Local 107 agreement that recognizes Local 784. Because we are a part of the stagehand agreement, we are already in negotiations with SMG again, but as we have parity with the stagehands, we are assured of a beneficial outcome. And because we achieved parity with the stagehands, the new deal actually pays better than the “Green Sheet”. Another Planet Entertainment was a tougher nut to crack. They were one of the employers that couldn’t be bothered to negotiate a real term agreement, but when they needed our services, they signed our Standard Agreement, including Training Fund contributions. We do not have a lot of employment with Another Planet, but having the agreement strengthens our position throughout our jurisdiction.

With the demise of American Musical Theater, we entered into negotiations with Team San Jose as they are now handling the Yellow Card Broadway tours that come through San Jose. We were able to negotiate a two year term agreement that has parity of conditions with the stagehands, and when we go back at the end of the term we will be looking to get parity of wages as well. Considering that when Team San Jose was formed, Local 784 was left out of the contract process, having an opportunity to get our foot in the door was a big win in and of itself.

Payroll companies have so far been easier to sign. New Vista, Union Payroll, RMPF and Talent Fund have all signed our Standard Agreement which runs through 2011. These agreements are in force any time one of these companies does payroll for a presenter that does not have a direct contract with us. These agreements cover several of our regular venues as well as covering Local 784 workers in other more oddball venues.

We also developed a “Conforming Agreement”. It has the same basic rates and conditions as the stagehand agreement, but with benefits and work fees coming to Local 784. So far we are only using the Conforming Agreement with the payroll company that handles the Warfield; however, that payroll company handled an attraction at another venue in December, so those workers also got wages and benefits that conform to the stagehands.

Cirque du Soleil is back in town and while they generally don’t enter into term agreements (there was a great deal of discussion on the subject) they have agreed to honor the terms of the 2007‐2009 agreement they signed last time they were here. For 2010, which is the end of the San Francisco run and the entire San Jose run, we were able to negotiate a 3% wage increase, an increase in Health and Welfare contribution taking it to 14% and contribution to our Training Fund.

After over a year of efforts to get San Francisco Symphony to the bargaining table, we are currently in negotiations. Kudos to Secretary/Treasurer Pelous for her work to convince the Symphony to agree to negotiate a contract so that benefit contributions will be accepted by the funds.

A few of our old “Green Sheet” employers are still being difficult. They say that they always use Local 784 workers and that they don’t want to go through the process of negotiating term agreements. But their argument that they “always use 784” isn’t good enough. Benefit funds reject contributions and our workers don’t have full protection – totally unacceptable! We’re still working on them. Stay tuned for more contracts in the New Year.

At times it’s been rough, but you can see how things snowball when we really work at it!