Stagehands and technicians at Portland’s State Theatre have unionized [Video]

THEIR CONFIRMATIONS ARE BELIEVED TO PROGRESS SMOOTHLY. NEARLY THREE DOZEN TECHNICIANS AND STAGEHANDS AT PORTLAND’S áSTATE THEATERá HAVE VOTED TO FORM A UNION…. TONIGHT AT 10– WE HEAR FROM ONE OF THOSE WORKERS… AS BONNIE BISHOP REPORTS– NEW UNION MEMBERS ARE READY TO GET TO WORK…. THE 35 EMPLOYEES WHO HELP THE THEATER’S SHOWS COME TO LIFE, WILL JOIN LOCAL 1-14 OF THE INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE OF THEATRICAL STAGE EMPLOYEES… THAT INCLUDES JAY LAW– ONE OF THE THEATRE’S STAGEHANDS– WHO HAS SPENT YEARS WORKING AT THE THEATRE….. I THINK THE BIGGEST THING FOR MOST OF US IS BEING ABLE TO HAVE OPEN CONVERSATION WITH MANAGEMENT AND BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE ALL NEED AS A GROUP. STAGEHANDS AND TECHNICIANS AT THE STATE THEATRE–NOW JOIN THE UNION THAT REPRESENTS WORKERS WHO SET UP STAGE SHOWS AT THE CROSS INSURANCE ARENA, MERRILL AUDITORIUM AND THE AUGUSTA CIVIC CENTER–TO NAME …