From: Michael John Moynihan <michaelm-AT-execpc.com>
Subject: Re: [Puptcrit] UNIONS - Puppeteers
Date: Tue, 30 Nov 2004 01:54:32 -0600
To: puptcrit-driftline.org-AT-lists.driftline.org


The theatre company that I cofounded 30 years ago is non union.

I think by around year 10 I thought that someday we would be Equity, 
but it never happened.
The stagehands union actually closed down the oldest and grandest house 
in Milwaukee, the Pabst Theatre. I think it stood unused for a decade, 
in this, a strong union town. Finally the City took over ownership and 
it opened again. A few years ago the City wanted out and so they sold 
it to one of the richest movers and shakers for a dollar. The rich get 
richer and the poor...

I've worked for local Equity companies as an actor, director and 
playwright. I cannot say that I have ever been at all interfered with 
artistically because of a union. I do not much buy into union 
membership meaning more professional than non union. I agree that 
livable pay and benefits should be for everyone. I have to say that the 
union stage hands and technicians at one particular children's theatre 
I have worked with have done great work and have really made my 
projects work as I wanted.

When I direct I always go out of my way to make the technical people 
feel like a part of the ensemble. In return they seem to enjoy working 
with me and do excellent work with pride and mastery. Its just like 
when I would do a school residency. The school secretary and the 
engineer have keys. So they are the first to be won over if you are 
going to get any work done.

It is unfortunate that eventually unions become as much an enemy of 
workers as management. We need to band together to get what we 
want/need. But we always make the same mistake. You cannot organize and 
then walk away, expecting a representative to look after your best 
interests.

The only real battle is the one that is always being fought. The rich 
against the poor. The rich hire the management to take care of their 
interests, and there is no shortage of wanna be bosses. The poor choose 
good, smart capable people to organize and lead the battle, but after a 
short time many get too comfortable and begin to believe as the rich 
do, that they are somehow better than their former peers. So they need 
to have short time roles where they rub elbows with the enemy. In 
politics its called term limits. In unions too many union reps never 
return to the worker ranks.

MM

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