Local 118 Wins Certification at Theatre Under The Stars May 12, 2004
Vancouver, BC – On March 31, 2004, the British Columbia Labour Relations Board released a decision granting I.A.T.S.E. Local 118 bargaining rights for stage work at Theatre Under the Stars.
Theatre Under the Stars (“TUTS”) began in 1934 as an outdoor bandshell for summer afternoon concerts in Stanley Park. In 1940, a group of local theatre people formed a not-for-profit society called Theatre Under the Stars, which was to produce quality musicals during the summer months. TUTS has been performing regularly since that time.
With the assistance of the International, Local 118 commenced an organizing drive in the summer of 2003. The local filed for certification on July 16, 2003, which TUTS challenged. The British Columbia Labour Relations Board dismissed the legal challenges of TUTS and ordered the ballots cast in the representation vote to be counted. Local 118 won an overwhelming majority of the ballots cast and was subsequently certified as the bargaining agent for the stage employees of TUTS.