Mirvish Productions Continues Negotiations with IATSE Local 822
Mirvish Productions, which owns and operates four prominent downtown Toronto theatres, is resuming negotiations with IATSE Local 822 after the union rejected the company's latest offer for its membership of theatre wardrobe, hair and makeup workers.
Producer David Mirvish explains: "Our policy has always been not to negotiate our contracts in public, and certainly not through the media. But earlier today IATSE issued a media release that has inaccurate and misleading information, so I am compelled to respond through the media.Here are the facts:Mirvish Productions was informed this week by Local 822 that their membership have rejected the company's latest offer and given their management a strike mandate.
With this news, Local 822 asked Mirvish to come back to the negotiating table, which Mirvish is happy to do. Right now a date is being sought for negotiations to resume.
Furthermore Local 822 has assured Mirvish that the union will not strike while negotiations continue; Mirvish has also agreed not to lock out the union members during the negotiations.
In over 47 years of producing professional theatre in Toronto, across Canada, and in London and New York, Mirvish has never had a strike action. Mirvish is confident a positive resolution will be found to the negotiations with Local 822.
The issues at stake:
The media release issued today by IATSE attempts to cloud the issues of the current negotiation by flagging "gender-based inequality." In fact, this is far from the truth.
Local 822's membership is 80% female and 20% male. This ratio is not the choice of Mirvish Productions. The company is gender-blind in its hiring. However, it is the union that makes the decision which gender to engage, not the company.
Historically, the wardrobe, hair and makeup departments in stage productions have been staffed by females because it is deemed unacceptable for men to dress women, while both men and women are accepted to dress men. This practice, which is outside of the control of the company, has skewed the gender of Local 822's membership.
Mirvish Productions does NOT discriminate on gender and pays women and men the exact same amount for the same work.
Currently, the lowest hourly waged member of Local 822 working at the Royal Alexandra, Princess of Wales and Canon theatres costs the company, with benefits, $35.65 an hour, with the highest paid member costing the company, with benefits, $149,000 in 2009.
Mirvish has offered Local 822 an increase of a minimum of 9.5% to a maximum of 11.5% over four years, a very generous amount in today's economic climate.
Many people may not understand the responsibilities of theatre wardrobe, hair and makeup workers. These people perform the following duties: they prepare and set out clothing for the performers; help the performers in and out of their clothing as required (traditionally called "dressers"); and assist with wigs, hair and makeup. There duties also include minor repairs to the costumes, and laundry and ironing. They are NOT responsible for designing and building the costumes, or making major repairs to the costumes.
The wages of members of Local 822 under the Mirvish agreement are comparable and amongst the highest to what other wardrobe, hair and makeup workers earn in Toronto. In fact, on balance the Local 822 members are paid more than the base wage of members of the Canadian Actors' Equity Association.
Local 822 is one of three IATSE unions in the Mirvish theatres. Each local operates under separate collective agreements and has distinct responsibilities, and levels of training and skills. Each has both female and male members who are paid the same amount for the same work. It is not accurate to make comparisons of earnings across bargaining units as the responsibilities differ dramatically.
Local 822 contends that Mirvish is in violation of the Pay Equity Act of Ontario. In fact, the company believes it is in compliance with this provincial act. The local has raised this issue for over a decade and if it truly believed that the company was in violation it could have sought redress by approaching the Pay Equity Commission, but it has never done so. Notwithstanding the above, Mirvish is willing to discuss a pay equity plan with Local 822.
We value the work of Local 822 and believe we have offered fair compensation to them, and look forward to continuing our negotiations with them - hopefully in private."
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