After an unprecedented period of organizing over the last sixteen months, the International assisted I.A.T.S.E. Local 822 (Province of Ontario – Theatrical Wardrobe, Make-up Artists and Hair Stylists) in completing negotiations for first collective agreements with CanStage, Roy Thomson Hall / Massey Hall, and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd.

Formed in 1987 through the merger of CentreStage and the Toronto Free Theatre, CanStage has a history spanning more than fifty years. It operates out of three separate venues (Berkeley Street Theatre, Bluma Appel Theatre, along with open-air productions throughout the summer at the Amphitheatre in High Park), and is Canada’s largest contemporary theatre company.

Owned and operated by the same corporation, Roy Thomson Hall and Massey Hall are two separate and distinct venues. Roy Thomson Hall opened in 1982 and represented the leading edge of technology and design. After the completion of a $20 million enhancement project, it is now considered an architectural jewel. Massey Hall opened over 100 years ago, in 1894, and soon gained international renown as Canada’s most important venue for concerts and lectures. It was declared a “heritage building” in the 1970s and remains a vital part of Toronto’s cultural and entertainment landscape.

Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Ltd. owns the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Raptors and the Toronto Rock, the city’s professional lacrosse team, in addition to the Air Canada Centre. It is one of the most profitable private entertainment companies in Canada.

Each of the agreements, covering wardrobe, make-up and hair, provides for increases in wages and the introduction of health and pension benefits. The agreements also provide for working conditions that are consistent with other Local 822 agreements.