December BA Report

Dear 887,

I would like to start my B.A. report with a heartfelt thank you for all those who reached out this month and stepped up to help with everything from negotiations to filling last minute calls. My family and I are going through a very difficult time.  I am so moved by all the help and understanding I have received from my brothers, sisters, and kin not only at Local 887 but through my fellow BA kin at 15, 488, and international. Thank you for all the help, letters, flowers, dinners, and updates. 

Covid:

The 5^th Avenue cancelled this week of performances due to high Covid cases. We also have high reports from the ACT theatre. Please stay vigilant at home and in the theatre. Stay home when you are sick. Due to the high number of Covid and other respiratory illnesses the CDC is recommending masking outside the home once more. We will continue to enforce strict protocols.

Venue News/ Current Negotiations 

The Village: The Village Contract was ratified at our November, in person, membership meeting.

5^th Avenue: Local 887 and Local 488 held our first bargaining session with management last week and will go back to the table with contract proposals Monday, December 19^th. We will hold two separate meetings on the 19^th to make best efforts to come to an agreement regarding an extension with several needed contract amendments and a 6% wage increase in the latter half of contract extension =. 

MT Baker: With most of the contract language agreed upon we are hoping to meet with Mt. Baker in January for their final wage counter. 

***Cornish: All three local Business Agents have been reviewing the contracts final draft and we will be posting the draft to our website prior to the weekend in hopes we can vote to finally ratify this contract at the December General Membership meeting. 

Seattle Opera: Local 887 and 488 have continued to hold weekly labor management meetings to reconcile past issues with a combined HMU and Costume shop model that proved to be impossible as productions returned to pre-pandemic production sizes. These meetings have helped the shop and wardrobe department rebuild their relationship and lines of communication with upper management with the shared goal of restoring both shops to their original job and title structures. I want to give a big thank you to Miriam Goodman Miller for taking the reins on organizing and even leading some of these discussions in my absence as I dealt with a difficult family matter. 

Seattle Repertory Theatre: I will soon be sending out a doodle poll to schedule our first few bargaining unit meetings since we will soon begin negotiations for a new contract in late January. Please let me or Scott Arend know if you wish to attend or be participate in and this negotiation process. 

***Teatro Zin Zanni: We have finally come to an agreement, and I am currently working hard to have a working draft to present to the membership at our December membership meeting for ratification. If we can’t post it in time, I will still be presenting highlights from this contract because it is one that I and the bargaining unit are extremely proud of. This was a tough and often contentious negotiation. However, our efforts paid off with wins as big as 28% wage increases, strong increases in health and welfare contributions, and pack out fees!!Thankyou Sam Tapola, Marie Kramer, Misty Reubens, and Karen Crosby for your tenacity commitment to seeing this contract through. 

Seattle Shakespeare Company: We will begin negotiations in January. The bargaining unit will meet December 19^th. 

Book It: Will be negotiations in January. The bargaining unit will meet December 19^th at 10am,

Climate Pledge: We will soon be discussing a new MOU and will meet to discuss new wardrobe facilities. 

Dispatch News:

Starting in January, we will begin revamping our technology for our dispatch system using a new text messaging app system so that we are able to update numbers and have much more transparency and accuracy in the way we dispatch. Both dispatchers Keri Young and Madeleine DeGracia discovered that our current phone system began to malfunction and wasn’t updating properly. Through lots of research, and an excellent presentation, Madeleine has discovered an inexpensive SMS program that will allow dispatch to send messages from their phone or their computer. The Business Agent will also be able to log on and monitor dispatch in real time. Like the revamp of our website, we will be able to go through and systematically and accurately update all hiring hall information to ensure accuracy. Although we may have a week of being “under construction” we will be sure to do this while we are not actively dispatching. This system will not require any training or changes for those who receive the messages but will ensure that now everyone does receive dispatch. Once the everyone is entered into the program, this will be a huge time and frustration saver for both our dispatchers. However, in order to receive dispatch, you must have a phone that has both text message capabilities and a working voicemail box.

We will also soon accept applications for additional auxiliary and part time dispatchers once the program is finished. If you are interested, have excellent data entry and computer skills, and are currently working part time, please do apply once we post the job on our website. 

Elections

The increase in worker contributions from 4% to 5% starting January 1^st, 2023, passed with 53 members voting yes and only 9 opposing no votes. All our venues payroll and management teams have been notified and supplied with new consent forms. Please be sure to sign this form prior to or on your first day of employment after January 1^st, 2023.

Membership Drive

Please remember, December 30^th is the last day we will be accepting membership applications with the application fee for those who wish to join without membership initiation fee. If you have already given membership both the application and application fee but have not heard back your application has been sent to International and we are waiting for their response. This often takes time but will not affect your waved initiation fee to join.

Important Dates

*Membership Meeting- December 19^th -via zoom please follow the link below to register.

Meeting agenda includes

-Fines for non-emergency (family/ illness) dropped calls 

-late fines being removed from Job Steward responsibilities

-Cornish Contract- ratification (available to view on website later sun evening)

-TZ Contract- Pre ratification discussion (highlights available at meeting) 

-Volunteers for Hiring Hall List Review

-Volunteers Dispatch Committee 

In Solidarity,

Carrie Steficek 

Business Agent Local 887