A fresh wave of interest in unionization has hit the concert-dance world. Recently, dancers in companies like Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Austin, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre have taken steps to join the ranks of long-unionized companies such as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. All of these dancers are members of the American Guild of Musical Artists, the major union for concert dancers as well as singers and staging staff. Teachers are getting in on the action too, with ballet faculty at the School of American Ballet recently joining AGMA.
Maybe all this news has you curious about the benefits unionization might bring to your workplace. If so, here’s how to get started.
What Do I Do First?
“The best place to get started is to get in touch with me,” says Griff Braun, AGMA’s national organizing director. On the main menu at the top of AGMA’s website, click the button that says “organize.” Fill out the contact form. Your submission will go straight to Braun, who will reach out to set up an initial conversation. Braun understands that dancers can feel apprehensive about taking even this first step, but rest assured: “Any conversation with me, or with anybody from the AGMA staff, is confidential,” he says. After learning more about you and your workplace, Braun can advise you on next steps and answer any questions you might have about the unionization process.
How Many of My Co-Workers Need to Be Interested?
Employers can opt to recognize unions voluntarily, but most often, they choose to force a union election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board. In an election, if a majority of workers vote in favor of the union, the employer must agree to work with the union. But that doesn’t mean you need a majority right off the bat. “Often, union campaigns start with one person, or maybe two people, that are talking about this,” says Braun.
How Do I Know Who to Approach?
Just like your conversations with any AGMA staff, conversations among workers about unionization should remain confidential. “Ultimately, the decision of whether to unionize your company or not is in the hands of the dancers only,” says Braun. “The management doesn’t get a vote.”
But if you’re considering organizing a union at your workplace, you probably have a sense that some dancers will be receptive—and others might be more difficult to approach. “Within dance companies, there are often dancers that are close with their director,” says Braun. “Sometimes they’re married to staff members or members of company leadership, so bringing them into a union conversation can put them in an awkward position.” The key, he says, is to be strategic, and build substantial support for the union before reaching out to dancers who may be in a sensitive position. “When there’s a strong majority of the group that is ready to move forward, you do want to bring everybody in,” Braun says. “And in doing this, sometimes the folks that you’re concerned about end up being very supportive.”
An August 17 rally in support of Dallas Black Dance Theatre dancers. Photo by Nathan Bullock, Courtesy Bullock.
How Long Does All This Take?
Once you’re ready to petition the NLRB for your union election, that process often takes only about a month, says Braun. How long it takes to reach that point, however, varies. “The organizing part takes the longest, and it should take the longest, because it’s not just about getting 50 percent plus one so you can win an election,” says Braun. “It’s really about setting up the kind of solidarity that the group of dancers will need to bargain a good contract and make positive change in their workplace.” Depending on your group, the organizing phase could take a few months or upwards of a year.
Could I Face Retaliation?
“The short version is that retaliation for union activity is prohibited by federal law,” says Braun. But, unfortunately, it can happen. As of press time, dancers from Dallas Black Dance Theatre continue to allege that company leadership retaliated after they won their union by rescinding all of the dancers’ signed offers of employment. DBDT leadership disputed that assertion, claiming instead that a video posted on the dancers’ Instagram account violated the dancers’ contracts and was the reason for termination.
If retaliation does occur, unions can file unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB, as AGMA has done regarding DBDT’s firing of its dancers. However, resolution takes time. “Ultimately, the best tool workers have is the solidarity of their group,” says Braun. “That’s why it’s doubly important that the group of dancers is able to build a strong majority. That can provide protection for any individual.” In the case of DBDT, dancers went public with their allegations of retaliation to drum up public support—another way union members can work together to protect each other. AGMA also issued a Do Not Work order for DBDT, which prohibits all dancers who are members of AGMA and sister unions, including Actor’s Equity and SAG-AFTRA, from working with the company. But this type of contentiousness isn’t necessarily the norm. Braun cited Dance Theatre of Harlem as a recent example of a company that was “welcoming and collaborative” to unionization.
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