Negotiations

Negotiations Continue for Casa Mañana

September 12, 2022

Since the summer of 2021, Local 72-147 has been in discussions for a successor agreement with Casa Mañana. After a previous three year agreement expired in August of 2021, tensions arose between the Union and Casa Mañana after the company staged a production of Matilda the Musical in its Broadway series performed to musical tracks instead of hiring its musicians. After an Unfair Labor Practice charge was filed with the NLRB and the musicians picketed this production of Matilda for replacing them with recordings, and violating the terms of its long standing collective bargaining agreement.

After the Matilda production, the musicians and Casa Mañana Management resumed its talks in earnest, while an NLRB investigation into the Matilda matter was pending.

In addition to the dispute over its use of recorded tracks, the largest point of contention has been proposals by Management to no longer use a set historic hiring list of musicians for its productions. Since July of 2021, this was a stated goal of Management which, if placed into practice, could amount to a virtual dismissal of the musicians who have historically performed as the Casa Mañana orchestra. It has been the Union’s position throughout that an agreement contemplating any such thing is neither acceptable nor a possibility for ratification by the musicians.

As negotiations have continued throughout the months, Casa Mañana staged a production of Newsies under the terms and conditions of its previous contract while the union has resisted proposals  undermining the continuance of hiring from the long standing hiring list and negotiated over the issus.

As much work has been put into the negotiation, the Casa Manana musicians have made progress as the Union continues to negotiate for the integrity of its long standing CBA with the company. The investigation in the Union’s Unfair Labor Practice charge of last spring is still pending.

The Union’s negotiation team consists of Casa Manana hiring list musicians Elaine Davidson, Jesse Fry, Becky Rathbun, Larry Spencer with Local 72-147 President Stewart Williams and Counsel David Watsky.