Strike could shut down shows at this Toronto venue

Stagehands at Toronto's Meridian Arts Centre are preparing to strike after over a year of stalled contract talks with TO Live, the City agency that operates the venue along with two others.

On Oct. 16, members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 58, which represents stagehands across Toronto, voted unanimously to proceed with a strike at the Meridian Arts Centre, unless an agreement is reached by this week.

According to the union, TO Live is pushing for significant concessions that would make it harder for workers to keep up with the city's rising cost of living.

Local 58 argues that its members play a key role in bringing world-class performances to Toronto, but the proposed changes would likely prevent them from living and working in the city, where they help the arts scene thrive.

IATSE Local 58 President Justin Antheunis said in a press release that "This isn't a decision our members took lightly, but frankly, they are tired of the City of Toronto's attacks on their paycheques."

"Every proposal the union put forward to help these arts workers continue to thrive in the city has been met by TOLive with a demand for cuts to working conditions that threaten their employees' livelihoods." 

Antheunis challenges a recent statement by Mayor Chow and the Toronto Arts Council, which touted the importance of the arts to this city.

"TOLive didn't get the message. They have spent months fighting to make it harder for the workers who are the backbone of the entertainment industry to be able to afford to live here," says Antheunis.

There is some hope that the two parties will reach an agreement before any job action is taken. A final round of bargaining is scheduled for Oct. 24.

If talks fall through, the strike will kick off on Oct.25, with production disruptions to events like the upcoming Sound Break and BERLIN.BUTTERFLY.BRAZIL concert featuring Angel Wang, at TO Live's Meridian Arts Centre.

You can see a complete list of events that may be impacted on the TO Live website.