June 3, 2016 | NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
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IATSE trying to get first contract for riggers at Rhino NW
Labor steps up the pressure as
company ignores NLRB orders,
refuses to bargain
The International Alliance of
Theatrical Stage Employees
(IATSE) Local 15 in Seattle is
stepping up the pressure to get a
first contract for some 70 riggers
employed at Rhino Northwest.
Last year, riggers at the
nonunion staging, rigging and
event production company lo-
cated in Fife, Washington, won
a National Labor Relations
Board (NLRB) election and the
right to be represented by IATSE
Local 15. Rhino NW appealed
the election, claiming the “mi-
cro unit” of riggers was inappro-
priate. [The company also em-
ploys several hundred stage-
hands and technical staff.]
The NLRB allows unions to
organize small portions of the
total number of employees at a
company if the employees in the
unit are “readily identifiable” as
a group and “share a community
of interest.”
The NLRB — at both the re-
gional and national levels —
found that the smaller unit was
appropriate for a union certifica-
tion election.
Still, the company refuses to
Photo courtesy of IATSE Local 15
PAGE 2 |
SOLIDARITY FOR THE RHINO RIGGERS: Nearly 100 people rallied outside
Seattle’s Safeco Field May 20 in a show of support for riggers who are trying
to get a first contract at Rhino NW. About 70 riggers joined IATSE Local 15
more than a year ago. The company has refused to recognize the union.
recognize the union, and has
now turned to federal court in an
attempt to get the election over-
turned.
Rhino has cut schedules of
some union-supporting employ-
ees and fired others. IATSE filed
an unfair labor practice com-
plaint with the NLRB alleging
unlawful retaliation against
workers’ protected activity to
join a union. A hearing is sched-
uled for July 26.
Meanwhile, IATSE has be-
gun to reach out to the greater
labor community, as well as
area politicians.
On May 23, delegates to the
Northwest Oregon Labor Coun-
cil passed a resolution in support
of the riggers. The resolution is
identical to ones passed by labor
councils in King, Pierce, and
Snohomish counties in Wash-
ington.
IATSE Local 15 President
Sal Ponce said the union also
has written letters to Seattle city
councilors.
Riggers employed at Rhino
NW do backstage work at West-
ern Washington live events and
concerts at Sunlight Supply Am-
phitheater (formerly Sleep
Country) in Clark County’s
Ridgefield, Washington, at the
Tacoma Dome, The Gorge in
George, Washington, at xFinity
Arena in Everett, at White River
Amphitheater in Auburn, at the
Washington Convention Center,
and occasionally at the two
Seattle sports stadiums —
Safeco Field and CenturyLink
Field.
Last month workers held a
rally outside Safeco Field. Sev-
eral members of Portland-based
IATSE Local 28 participated.
The union said it is planning an-
other rally in July, this one at the
amphitheater in Clark County. A
date has not been set.
“The concert business is a
multi-billion dollar industry, and
incredibly profitable as promot-
ers utilize publicly-funded facil-
ities and employ nonunion la-
bor,” said Ponce.
“The employees have been
attempting to collectively bar-
gain for more than a year. At this
time they have little job security,
no sick leave or health insur-
ance, lack family-friendly
scheduling, and work at hourly
rates well below industry stan-
dards. They need and deserve a
contract,” said Ponce.
Rhino Northwest, LLC, is lo-
cated in Fife, Washington. It is
affiliated with Arizona-head-
quartered Rhino Staging.
