In an award that remedies twelve years of blatant and continuous violations of federal labor law, the National Labor Relations Board has ordered the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach, Florida, to pay $2.6 million in back pay and benefit contributions to IATSE stagehands. These workers had been unlawfully fired and unable to work at the Kravis Center for more than a decade. This decision also includes interest that continues to accrue and remedies violations of federal labor laws committed by the Kravis Center during the period September 2000 through September 2007.

In 2007, the NLRB ruled that the Kravis Center had failed to bargain with IATSE Local 500, unilaterally changing wages and other terms and conditions of employment and refusing to use the Local 500 hiring hall to staff its productions. This is a violation of federal labor law. The Board ordered the Kravis Center to reinstate the displaced workers and to resume negotiations with the union, which the Kravis Center had unlawfully ceased in September 2000.  In 2008, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals enforced the Board’s order.

IATSE International President Loeb commented that the union and the workers have been vindicated by the Board’s decision today. “Local 500 has consistently prevailed over ten (10) years both at the National Labor Relations Board and in the Courts. This is a great victory for the Kravis Center workers, Local 500 and the IATSE. We are thrilled with the Board’s decision.” 

In addition to the back pay award, the NLRB Regional office in Tampa, FL issued a second complaint against the Kravis Center, alleging that the Center unlawfully committed further violations in the fall of 2010. A hearing on that complaint is scheduled for October 29, 2012. President Loeb said “we are confident that this string of successes will continue and that the law will continue to support the rights of the Kravis Center workers.” 
 
Related articles:
NLRB issues second complaint and seeks $2.6 million plus interest from Florida performing arts center after it failed to comply with Board order. – NLRB, July 31, 2012
Kravis Center Reneges on Agreement and Commits New Unfair Labor Practices. – IATSE, May 18, 2012