SAINT PAUL, MN. – Video board technicians that bring the beautiful game to life on the video boards of Allianz field for fans of the Minnesota United Football Club (MNUFC) of Major League Soccer (MLS) have voted in favor of representation with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 745.
Region 18 of the National Labor Relations Board counted the ballots and made the results official, 18 – 9 in favor of union representation.
With this strong vote in favor of representation, the Minnesota United crew becomes the first group of in house video technicians in Minnesota to win union representation. They now have the right to bargain for improvements in wages, benefits and working conditions.
“We are excited about the results and look forward to sitting down at the bargaining table with the team,” said camera operator, Nick Quinn.
“We would like to thank the fans, lawmakers and other trade unions for their support and encouragement,” added camera and replay operator, Josiah Wollan.
The IATSE and its Minneapolis-based Local 745 filed for recognition with the NLRB on July 14 after the Minnesota United Football Club management refused to voluntarily recognize the union despite an overwhelming show of support from MNUFC technical crew. Support from MNUFC fan groups, local and national government representatives, and labor supporters from around the country bolstered the crew as they conducted their mail-in ballot recognition vote.
