Sunday's picketing of Madonna by about 300 angry stagehands and their supporters was apparently the first move in a pressure campaign that IATSE Local 33 plans to wage against the managers of the Forum to get their jobs back.
Spokesperson Cherri Senders emailed to say that the stagehands' union will be contacting Pearl Jam and every other act slated for Forum dates and asking them to help the fight by insisting that union roadies handle their gear.
She also clarifies earlier news reports that had said erroneously that the stagehands were locked out when they staged a work slowdown following a 35% cut in their wages ...
She writes:
(W)e did not stage a slowdown. Management, aka :SMG, fired all of our dept heads except one, slashed our crews and our wages, then accused us of a slowdown when we couldn�t work as quickly. We did not stage a slowdown. We just couldn�t work as quickly without the leadership and with the younger, less experienced crews willing to work at such reduced rates.
The union had about 60 members working the large rock'n'roll shows before the April 10 midnight lockout, she says.
The union represented Forum workers for 39 years, and had been seeking a new contract for more than two years. The Forum was bought six years ago by the Faithful Central Bible Church.
I've emailed the church and management company SMG asking for them to respond. I'm also curious to know what the church thought of Madonna's crucifix act.
Posted by: Mack_Reed on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 10:56 AM
