Philly Stagehands Reach An Agreement

Negotiations in a labor dispute between a Philadelphia stagehands union and three venues has reportedly yielded a tentative agreement between the parties.

The dispute included stagehands and other members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 8 who work at the Kimmel Center For The Performing Arts and its Mirriam Theatre and the Academy of Music.

The workers walked off the job for a day Sept. 30 seeking wage and benefit increases and better working conditions. The sometimes-testy contract negotiations began Oct. 1.

The ratification process is to take place over the next two weeks, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

The three-year agreement reportedly gives IATSE incremental raises totaling 5 percent over the length of the contract. Wardrobe personnel will now be paid time-and-a-half for performances instead of the same flat rate for rehearsals and performances.

Mike Barnes, IATSE chief negotiator, told the paper the agreement is a win-win situation.

“Our members received fair wages, benefits, and respect they deserve and Kimmel management secured the most committed, professional work force of any performing arts center in the nation.”

In a statement, Kimmel Center CEO Ann Ewers told the Inquirer, “We used the ‘cooling off’ period to develop creative proposals that enabled us to find middle ground that acknowledge our employees’ legitimate goals, while still declining those terms that would have brought short-term harmony but unsustainable long-term economics.”

The one-day strike led to rescheduling an Oct. 1 Audra McDonald concert at the Kimmel Center to Nov. 30.