Update: April 19, 2023
The VSO and IATSE Local 118 have reached a tentative agreement.
After days of tense negotiations that led to the IASTE issuing a historic 72-hour strike notice, the VSO released a statement Wednesday saying that they had made a tentative four-year agreement with IATSE Local 118.
"This agreement will allow the VSO to balance fair pay with financial stability," reads the statement.
The IASTE Local 118 confirmed the news on its Instagram. All scheduled VSO performances will continue as normal.
Original: April 14, 2023
For the first time in its close to 120-year history, members of the B.C. chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) are contemplating going on strike.
On April 11, the union issued a 72-hour strike notice after negotiations between stagehands and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) stalled over keeping cost of living protections in their union contract.
"These negotiations have been deeply frustrating and disappointing," said Diana Bartosh, the vice president of IATSE, in an emailed statement to V.I.A.
Bartosh alleges that "the VSO's representative told us that we don't deserve a wage increase comparable to the musicians because all we really do is 'just move chairs.'"
VSO stagehands have had a cost of living adjustment clause in their contract for over 50 years, according to the union, and the VSO's current negotiation proposals are reportedly based on limiting this year's — meaning that over the length of stagehands' contracts, wages could fall below the rate of inflation.
"On our end, we've done everything possible to try and reach a compromise," says Bartosh. "We've compromised on our proposals for several contract improvements, we've offered suggestions to make cost of living adjustments more predictable, and we've agreed to the VSO's requests to reopen items that had already been closed multiple times during the negotiating process. Despite this, they're just not moving on the thing that's most important to us."
The VSO responds
The VSO's management says they're disappointed in the union's strike notice.
"Over the past several months, the VSO and IATSE Local 118 have been working together in good faith towards a new collective agreement," says VSO president and CEO Angela Elster in a statement to V.I.A.
"We appreciate the contributions of stagehands and theatre technicians in helping create memorable experiences for our audiences and community," Elster adds, "Although VSO management was disappointed by the action taken by IATSE on Tuesday, negotiations continue in good faith, and we hope to reach an agreement."
Negotiations between the union and VSO resumed on April 13; however, Bartosh says that the VSO continues to claim the 2021/2022 cost of living adjustment could be considered a wage increase for 2022/2023, which means that there would not be one for that period.
"Considering that cost of living has gone up at least 6 per cent since June 2022, this is a significant issue for us," Bartosh continues. "It's like paying your 2021 taxes a year late and then telling the CRA that you don't need to pay your taxes for 2022 since you just paid them: it's simply not accurate."
The union maintains that it doesn't want to strike, and as of now, no specific picket action is planned. The stagehands hope to come to an agreement without impacting any performances but say it depends on if the VSO comes back with "a fair offer."
"We do not relish undertaking strike action, but we also will not shy away from the legal tools available to us to ensure a fair contract for workers," says Bartosh. "We'd rather make music than picket signs."
Which shows could be affected?
These are this month's upcoming VSO shows at the Orpheum that may be affected if the stagehands go on strike:
- Distant Worlds: music from FINAL FANTASY, April 14-15
- Said The Whale with the VSO, April 19
- West Side Story™ Film with Orchestra, April 22-23
- Springtime at the Symphony, April 27
- Aretha: A Tribute, April 28-29
- Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra, April 30
