Cirque du Soleil Settles With Union; Thursday Picket Cancelled
Wednesday, October 25, 2006(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)
Cirque du Soleil's DC performances are now union, thanks to the
threat of Opening Night Streetheat and last-minute negotiations. “Solidarity
works!” IATSE 22 President Chuck Clay told UNION CITY. Cirque has agreed that
stagehands represented by Local 22 will work the show during Cirque’s DC run
and load out "Corteo" at the end of the run. The load-out crew will include 47
DC residents, Clay says. “This shows that DC is a union town!” said Clay.
Added Metro Council President Jos Williams “We’re tremendously pleased that
Cirque du Soleil has done the right thing. It’s a great show and now that
it’s union, we urge everyone to go to show their support.”