More labor strife in D.C.The newly unionized dancers of The Washington Ballet have already hit a rocky road with company management. In March, Nikkia Parish and Brian Corman, two company dancers who testified before the National Labor Relations Board National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), independent agency of the U.S. government created under the National Labor Relations Act of 1935 (Wagner Act), and amended by the acts of 1947 (Taft-Hartley Labor Act) and 1959 (Landrum-Griffin Act), which affirmed labor's right on behalf of unionization for the company, were fired. The dancers' union, the American Guild of Musical Artists The 'American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO (AGMA) is the American labor union that represents 8,000 opera singers, ballet and other dancers, opera Directors, backstage production personnel at opera and dance companies, and figure skaters. According to its website (www. , filed an unfair labor practice Conduct prohibited by federal law regulating relations between employers, employees, and labor organizations. Before 1935 U.S. labor unions received little protection from the law. charge with the NLRB, claiming that, in retaliation for the union vote, the company refused to renew the two dancers' contracts. Jason Palmquist, the executive director of The Washington Ballet, says that the charges were unfounded, adding that the timing of these incidents were a coincidence. Citing "artistic reasons" for the dismissals, Palmquist says, "While the two dancers may be lovely in particular roles, they just weren't right for the makeup of the company." Both Parish and Corman were the only company members who held AGMA AGMA American Gear Manufacturers Association AGMA American Guild of Musical Artists AGMA Association of Greater Manchester Authorities (UK) AGMA Alliance for Gray Market and Counterfeit Abatement memberships before the vote. According to AGMA executive director Alan Gordon, they were the only dancers to testify before the NLRB at the union's request, although six others were subpoenaed. "We have the opportunity to respond to the charge and the NLRB makes the determination to move forward to a hearing," says Palmquist. "What's really happening is that the company is trying to tough out the dancers, and we're trying to tough out the company," says Gordon. In addition, negotiations for a nine-day tour to Italy this month collapsed over the issue of the dancers' per diem per diem adj. or n. Latin for "per day," it is short for payment of daily expenses and/or fees of an employee or an agent. allowance. "Their last offer was $56. The dancers refused to go for anything less than $80," said Gordon. (The State Department recommendation for Italy is in the area of $150 a day.) A $90,000 loss was expected from the tour, which was to have included company donors, to "deepen their investment in the ballet," says Palmquist. Says Gordon, "Palmquist was looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a reason to cancel." AGMA filed a bad faith bargaining charge with the NLRB against The Washington Ballet for their negotiation tactics regarding the tour and is asking for compensation for the dancers for the canceled weeks of work. At press time, Ballet West was considering taking the Italian tour slot. Although an AGMA agreement and bylaws The rules and regulations enacted by an association or a corporation to provide a framework for its operation and management. Bylaws may specify the qualifications, rights, and liabilities of membership, and the powers, duties, and grounds for the dissolution of an for the company have yet to be created, the remaining Washington Ballet dancers have signed on for the 2005-6 season. At press time, negotiations with the dancers were continuing. |
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