A beleaguered union effort amongst present performers and steady arms at Medieval Occasions’ Buena Park citadel has met its finish.
The American Guild of Selection Artists, the union backing employees who organized in Buena Park in addition to at one other location of the favored themed dinner theater in New Jersey, submitted paperwork pulling its help.
The transfer got here after actors in each areas backed petitions asking the Nationwide Labor Relations Board to carry elections to take away the AGVA as their union consultant. They filed their petitions to decertify the union with free authorized help from the Nationwide Proper to Work Basis, a conservative, anti-union group, which hailed the union’s withdrawal as a victory.
“AGVA union officers handled every Medieval Occasions citadel as their very own private fiefdom, however their actions led to an rebellion of the rank-and-file they presupposed to ‘signify,’” Nationwide Proper to Work Basis President Mark Combine mentioned.
AGVA mentioned in an emailed assertion that over the course of contract negotiations, numerous the Medieval Occasions personnel who had voted to be represented by the union left Medieval Occasions, making it tough for the union to proceed its function.
“With out the unique help we began with, mixed with circumstances past our management, it turned inconceivable to proceed,” the union mentioned, noting that the trouble started two years in the past on the Lyndhurst, N.J., location and practically two years in the past in Buena Park. “It’s with a heavy coronary heart for these in search of business normal working circumstances and wages, that we’ve despatched a letter of disinterest.”
The 2 Medieval Occasions dinner theaters have been a part of a wave of organizing in recent times at workplaces not historically represented by unions, comparable to strippers at a North Hollywood bar and baristas at Starbucks areas.
Employees concerned within the union allege they have been topic to intimidation and retaliation from managers throughout their nine-month strike final 12 months, in addition to in latest months, forcing many to resolve to go away the corporate and shrinking the pool of employees supportive of the union.
Medieval Occasions didn’t reply to a request for remark.
Erin Zapcic, who performs a queen on the Buena Park citadel and served as a union steward, mentioned that in latest months, Medieval Occasions unlawfully switched employees’ shifts and subjected them to backbreaking menial work — for instance, shoveling horse manure for hours at a time.
“Medieval Occasions has operated as a king lording over his kingdom for its whole 40 years of enterprise. It has by no means been accountable to anybody, and used quite a lot of intimidation to make folks fall in line,” Zapcic mentioned.
Of some 27 workers who returned to work in November after the strike, fewer than 5 stay employed at Medieval Occasions, she mentioned.
Zapcic mentioned that through the strike, Medieval Occasions went on a hiring spree to interchange placing employees and maintain the reveals going, and it’s largely these new hires who supported the petitions to decertify the union.
“I’m heartbroken. I put each ounce of myself, each little bit of ardour and power for the final two years into this combat,” she mentioned. “We actually simply needed to have a voice within the office.”
“The union is just about useless within the water at this level,” mentioned William Hainsworth, 55, a former solid supervisor on the Buena Park citadel, who was fired from Medieval Occasions a few 12 months in the past and alleges in a pending lawsuit that he was wrongfully terminated for being vocal in his help for the union.
“I remorse nothing,” Hainsworth mentioned. “There’s quite a lot of shady stuff occurring there.”
Buena Park Medieval Occasions employees voted to unionize in November 2022, citing low wages and a need to enhance working circumstances, together with higher therapy of animals concerned within the present.
In February of final 12 months, employees went on strike when negotiations over wages throughout contract talks have been unsuccessful.
Whereas on strike, employees mentioned they skilled union-busting ways by the corporate and violence on the picket line from patrons, and the employees filed a number of unfair labor apply complaints with the Nationwide Labor Relations Board.
Lawmakers referred to as out Medieval Occasions for the alleged union busting, with New Jersey Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker sending a letter final Could urging the corporate’s chief govt, Perico Montaner, to stop union busting actions and negotiate in good religion with employees in California and New Jersey. However negotiations continued to stall.
In November, Buena Park citadel employees returned to work, ending their nine-month strike with out a contract settlement.
After they returned to work, Medieval Occasions refused to reinstate three of the placing employees, accusing them of “misconduct whereas on strike,” in response to the union. Amongst these employees was Jake Bowman, a knight and vocal union activist who had leveled allegations of horse abuse on the citadel.
The union on the time referred to as the corporate’s resolution “blatant, unlawful retaliation.”
