Remaining Victory Gardens Theater Staff Move To Unionize With IATSE

Staff at Chicago's stories Victory Gardens Theater, which has been engulfed in accusations of 'toxic behavior' and a 'lack of transparency' are seeking union representation. The remaining 16 employees, who remain in a standoff with the theatre's board of directors, have filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board.

The remaining staff are represented by IATSE locals Stagehands Local 2, Treasurers and Ticket Sellers Local 750, and Wardrobe Local 769.

"Unionization gives us the power of collective bargaining and a stronger support system than we currently have access to as individual, at-will employees. Unionization guarantees us a seat at the table, as well as leverage to push for worker safety measures that will benefit all employees of Victory Gardens." the group told the LA Times in a statement.

It was recently reported that the Victory Gardens board of directors informed the staff that the current artistic director, Ken-Matt Martin, had been placed on leave and that the final candidate for the open position of executive director, Marissa Lynn Ford, had withdrawn.

Acting managing director Roxanna Conner had also told staffers that she is resigning at the end of last month. Resident directors Lili-Anne Brown and Jess McLeod, and ensemble playwrights Marisa Carr, Keelay Gipson, Isaac Gómez and Stacey Rose announced in an online post that they had also resigned from the theater.

In a collectively signed post, the group acuused the volunteer board of a "lack of transparency" and past "toxic behavior."

This is a developing story.

Photo Credit: Greg Shutters, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons