Medieval Times dinner theater – where guests are treated to knights battling on horseback to win the throne – have employees who just joined the American Guild of Variety Artists. The union will represent the knights, squires, stable hands, and other cast members. Dinner theaters in New Jersey and California are now union. The remaining theaters are non-union.
After only two bargaining sessions for their first collective bargaining agreement, the workers went on strike.
About 50 performers and stable hands walked off the job after the first performance. The company pulled in employees from other departments to conduct the two remaining shows of the day. Performers from other locations are pitching in to keep the future shows from canceling.
The union alleges the company committed an unfair labor practice by raising wages of the non-union employees at its other theaters across the United States.
This concept doesn’t make sense to most non-union employers: why can’t employers pay employees whatever they want? Why can’t employers raise wages for employees who are literally hundreds (or thousands) of miles away in different markets with different market forces requiring different approaches from the employer?
Non-union employers can easily do this. But Medieval Times is no longer non-union. And when you have a union (or there is active union organizing) raising wages for non-union employees may be an unfair labor practice if it is done to chill the union’s organizing efforts.
Medieval Times has even sued the union for trademark infringement. The union (and current Medieval Times employees) have used its logo on Facebook and TicTok during the organizing campaign and to garner support for their efforts to get a collective bargaining agreement.
This fight is far from over.
This is a peek behind the curtain of an active union organizing drive and the length both sides will go to force their will on the other.
And at the same time, I’m sure the union is telling the employer at the bargaining table – “We look forward to a good and amicable working relationship with you.” I hear it all the time.
After only two bargaining sessions for their first collective bargaining agreement, the workers went on strike.
About 50 performers and stable hands walked off the job after the first performance. The company pulled in employees from other departments to conduct the two remaining shows of the day. Performers from other locations are pitching in to keep the future shows from canceling.
The union alleges the company committed an unfair labor practice by raising wages of the non-union employees at its other theaters across the United States.
This concept doesn’t make sense to most non-union employers: why can’t employers pay employees whatever they want? Why can’t employers raise wages for employees who are literally hundreds (or thousands) of miles away in different markets with different market forces requiring different approaches from the employer?
Non-union employers can easily do this. But Medieval Times is no longer non-union. And when you have a union (or there is active union organizing) raising wages for non-union employees may be an unfair labor practice if it is done to chill the union’s organizing efforts.
Medieval Times has even sued the union for trademark infringement. The union (and current Medieval Times employees) have used its logo on Facebook and TicTok during the organizing campaign and to garner support for their efforts to get a collective bargaining agreement.
This fight is far from over.
This is a peek behind the curtain of an active union organizing drive and the length both sides will go to force their will on the other.
And at the same time, I’m sure the union is telling the employer at the bargaining table – “We look forward to a good and amicable working relationship with you.” I hear it all the time.