Stand with us.
Let's form our union!
We are stagehands and techs working at the historic Showbox Theatres, putting on some of the best concerts in Seattle. The shows that make these venues special wouldn’t happen without us and the long hours we put in behind the scenes. It’s time we pull back the curtain and get what we deserve.
We are organizing to form a union with IATSE 15, which already represents many stagehands in Seattle. We want to make our voices heard at work and make things better for us, and those that come after us.
We've created this website to reach more of the many workers employed at Showbox. Are you supportive of taking action to improve our jobs? Leave us your information to get involved with our campaign.
A union for stagehands and techs at Showbox
As we all know, our industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. We were the first to close and last to come back. The struggles of COVID brought us together and now we’re ready to band together to make things better for us, and those that come after us.
Over the last year+ since returning, we’ve seen what our new normal looks like. Some of it we love, but there’s room for improvement. In recent months, we’ve made several asks of management, a few of which we’ve won.
By forming a union together, we can protect those wins and continue to build the future we envision. Our strength as a united front can lead us to becoming the first nightclub in the region and one of the firsts in the country to unionize.
Why are we organizing?
Through gathering feedback and conversations with our fellow workers, we’ve identified three main priorities: better wages and benefits, improving safety and training, as well as increasing transparency around policies.
We know that doesn’t cover everything and we’re constantly having conversations and gathering more feedback. If you’ve got anything you’d like to add to the mix, you can do so by filling out the form on this site.
Fair Wages & Benefits
The recent raises are appreciated, but they’re still under-market and not up to industry standards, nor are they protected.
Safety and Training
We want to see safety and training become a priority - not just in words, but in action.
Transparency
We want there to be more transparency around the policies and processes we are subject to.
Something else you don't see here?
Our union, by us, for us
We are the union. This is why we are organizing.
“Everyone deserves a safe place to work with opportunities to learn and grow in their chosen career path."
I love the Showbox. It's special and everyone, from the bands that play here to the people working every show, feels that when they walk through those doors. For those of us on the production side, there are aspects of our jobs that are dangerous. We know that and mitigate it as much as we can, but we don't always feel supported from the management side when things are too unsafe or when we ask for more training. Unionizing will give our voice more power and help us hold those above us accountable. It will also open up more opportunities to improve our skills and develop new ones, making ourselves and everyone around us safer and more experienced.
“IATSE has given me opportunities I never knew were possible."
Having a voice in the workplace is very important to me. As the labor and technical side of each production, we can’t rely on upper management to always have our back. A concrete contract is the best way for us to insure a safe, consistent and fair workplace. IATSE Local 15 has given me opportunities I never knew were possible; providing good paying work at amazing venues all across Western Washington. The Showbox venues and crew are world class, hard working people that deserve competitive rates and fair overtime pay. Having Local 15 represent us at The Showbox venues will strengthen our team and provide new opportunities for everyone.
“I want to work somewhere where I understand the rules, and everyone gets a fair shot."
I’ve spent almost three years at Showbox, and I’ve been lucky enough to receive support from management, opportunities to move up, and training in higher positions, very quickly. However I noticed quickly that many others, just as qualified, were unfairly overlooked. With the uncertainty of Covid and the amount of people who left the industry when it happened, rules seemed to change with the wind, and you would get a different opinion on how things used to or should work from every different person you would ask. I support a union because it will provide a more fair and transparent environment for everyone at Showbox to get what they want out of this job. A contract would help shift the way to advance at this company to a less biased system that focuses on merit and skill, not convenience and tenure, and let the Showbox shine with the talent that is already here.
“A fair union contract is the only way we can (...) bring Showbox back to the great workplace we all know it can be."
Since I began working at The Showbox in 2018, I've watched it undergo many changes. Since recovering from the COVID-19 shutdown, I have seen upper management fail to keep up with other venues in the area in terms of pay and transparency. Showbox was one of the rare workplaces where you actually felt like you were family, which has since gone by the wayside. We can no longer rely on upper management to have our best interests in mind, or even understand the needs that go into making a show happen. A fair union contract is the only way we can even attempt to bring Showbox back to the great workplace we all know it can be
Answers to your questions
As the motto goes “The union behind entertainment” IATSE represents thousands of workers across the country. From historic theaters to grand arenas, state convention centers and beyond, workers operating under an IATSE contract have competitive pay and safer working environments compared to those who do not. A handful of our workers here at the Showbox have history with Local 15 and we believe everyone would benefit with representation.
Yes, union membership has dues & fees. However, we won’t vote yes on a contract that doesn’t account for that.
Union dues only start being deducted once we have negotiated and voted in favor of our first union contract. We won't vote for a contract that doesn't make paying dues worthwhile. The voice at work, rights and benefits that come with unionization are well worth the small cost associated with participating.
This is up to us and how we would like it to work. We could choose to have all scheduling done through the hiring hall (with current Showbox workers having priority), keep it as it is now, or some sort of hybrid system.
Legally, no. Federal law protects our right to organize. Additionally, management will never see the cards. They will know overall numbers, but they won’t know specifically who did or did not sign.
There are a lot of potential benefits to organizing, such as: having more of a say at our workplace, a process for negotiating better wages and pay standards, an ability to demand and hold management accountable for maintaining a safe working environment. Additionally, by specifically joining IATSE 15, we would gain access to comprehensive health insurance, a wider pool of work via the hiring hall, and industry specific training.
Right now, we are gathering signatures. These signatures are not the official vote - they simply indicate support for organizing. Once we have a strong majority of signatures, we’ll ask AEG to independently recognize our union. If they do so, we move forward with negotiations. If they don’t, we would proceed to an official card-check and scheduling a union election through the National Labor Relation Board. The NLRB will certify our union if the majority of us vote in favor of organizing in the secret-ballot election. After that, we will be able to move forward with contract negotiations.
We’ve been doing that and yes, we’ve had some success. A union contract gives us a guarantee that those successes won’t be taken away.
That’s possible regardless of if we unionize or not. We don’t know what the future holds, but if we have a contract, we can include successor language so that we aren’t out of a job if AEG chooses to not renew their lease. We can also include language that gives us bargaining rights if the building owner shuts down the venue all-together so that we can negotiate the effects & impact of the decision.
There are many ways to get involved. At the most basic level, we'd love it if you'd fill out a signature card in support of organizing. You could also speak with coworkers, wear a sticker or pin, or join our organizing committee to help us strategize and make decisions for the campaign. Whatever level you are comfortable with, or if you have questions or feedback, you can email OrganizedShowbox@gmail.com or use our form at the top of the page to get let us know.
Ready to take action?
Get involved in our union campaign by filling in the form on this page. Or if you're ready to take the next step, sign a union authorization card!