CALGARY, AB – On January 11, the Alberta Labour Relations Board issued a certificate awarding representation of the Experience Ambassadors (aka XA) stagehands to IATSE Local 212. The application for certification was filed in the summer, during a concert for which Local 212 had supplied crew.
XA is a Calgary-based labour supplier and crew in the area was thin during the summer. The company had secured a contract to supply crew for 20 musical events in cities across Canada. Calgary crew proved difficult to source, as that city’s concert, featuring the Kings of Leon, coincided with number of other events, including the Calgary Stampede. XA needed stagehands, and IATSE Local 212 was in a position to supply them. The two organizations had collaborated in the past, so XA reached out to the Local for assistance to help crew the Kings of Leon show.
Local 212 was able to supply the required crew, and on July 14, 2018, the day of the concert, they filed an application for certification to represent the crew employed by XA. A dispute arose over who the employer actually was – XA, or IATSE Local 212, since the Local’s payroll company had been responsible for issuing paycheques to the crew. The Labour Relations Board was presented with evidence from both parties, but on January 11, 2019, found in favour of IATSE Local 212 and issued a certificate of representation.
IATSE Local 212 looks forward to welcoming XA to the bargaining table and to the opportunities this new employer will bring to the careers of their highly skilled stagehands. The Local is confident that their members can make a significant contribution to the continued success of Experience Ambassadors.