Workers at Kaman’s Art Shoppes—who bring magic to the San Diego Zoo experience through creating
caricatures, letter brush art and body art for guests—voted overwhelmingly to form a union with Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 122.
The 30-person bargaining unit began organizing in May of this year and faced an aggressive anti-union campaign from management, which included harassing emails, one-on-one conversations and even a visit from their Ohio-based CEO. But workers persisted and are now looking forward to bargaining a contract that raises wages, establishes paid time off and provides fairer scheduling protocols.
“Everyone deserves a union, whether it’s a stagehand, a rigger or a body artist—we all deserve to have a voice on the job,” said Taylor Resenbeck, Local 122’s business agent.
AFL-CIO Daily Brief