Stand with IATSE Local 15 Stagehands at Pacific Northwest Ballet!

Ellen Walker, Executive Director Pacific Northwest Ballet

Illustration of an orca whale in the Coast Salish style with the IATSE 15 bug in front of it with SEATTLE written below.

It is time to stand in solidarity with the Union Stagehands of IATSE Local 15, who provide essential technical expertise backstage at Pacific Northwest Ballet.

These highly trained professionals are the backbone of live performance. From lighting and sound to set changes and backstage safety, IATSE Local 15 members make sure every show runs smoothly and successfully. Their work is physically demanding, safety-critical, and vital to Seattle's arts and culture scene.
But now, their jobs — and the quality of theater and safety — are under threat.

PNB management, is proposing a series of unacceptable rollbacks that would harm workers and undermine the long-term stability of our theaters. These include:
  • Cutting back overtime calculations
  • Cutting back our jurisdiction
  • Reducing our safety standards

  • Proposing substandard wages

These proposals would force workers into greater precarity, destabilize their livelihoods, and push skilled professionals out of the industry — all while PNB management has not sacrificed their wages and conditions to the same extent.
We believe Seattle Arts Organizations should support good union jobs, not erode them. Our community benefits when performances are staffed by experienced, well-treated technicians who take pride in their craft.
We call on Pacific Northwest Ballet to:
  • Withdraw these harmful proposals and negotiate in good faith with IATSE Local 15
  • Respect the rights, stability, and well-being of the workers who make live performance possible
  • Protect union jobs and uphold the standards that ensure safety, excellence, and dignity backstage
Add your name to stand with IATSE Local 15 and demand that PNB do the right thing.
Pacific Northwest Ballet is a public treasure. The workers behind the curtain deserve our full support.
Petition by
Carrie Steficek
IATSE Local 15
Sponsored by
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IATSE Local 15

To: Ellen Walker, Executive Director Pacific Northwest Ballet
From: [Your Name]

We, the undersigned, stand in solidarity with the Union Stagehands of IATSE Local 15, who provide essential technical expertise at Pacific Northwest Ballet.

We call on PNB to:
1) Withdraw these harmful proposals and negotiate in good faith with IATSE Local 15
2) Respect the rights, stability, and well-being of the workers who make live performance possible
3) Protect union jobs and uphold the standards that ensure safety, excellence, and dignity backstage