Union, Arts Center Agree on Contract

Local 504 of the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees has reached an agreement on work rules, wages and benefits with the Orange County Performing Arts Center, officials of both sides said Friday.

The agreement, covering carpenters, lighting technicians and other theater workers, was reached Wednesday, officials said. Neither side would discuss specifics of the agreement. The $70.7-million structure in Costa Mesa is set to open Sept. 29.

Walter Blanchard, the union representative who led the bargaining, said the Anaheim-based local’s 150 members will vote on the agreement within a month.

“I’m not elated about it, but I’m not extremely unhappy about it,” Blanchard said of the agreement.

‘Major Impact’

“These were extremely important negotiations for the Center,” added Thomas L. Kendrick, the Center’s executive director.

“They’re important because they have a major impact on the economics of our operation, on our ability to bring in outside attractions and to present local attractions at a reasonable cost.”

Kendrick said the agreement is “fair and equitable in all its aspects” and, from the Center’s perspective, “compares favorably with other arts centers.”

Blanchard said a major topic of negotiation included rules governing jobs shaped by the high technology lighting and sound systems.

“It’s probably the most technologically advanced facility in the country,” Blanchard said of the Orange County Center. “For example, the lighting system . . . requires not only knowledge of theater lighting, but the extremely complex computer to control it.”

Concern About Technical Side

Said Kendrick: “We were concerned whether there is a proper reservoir of talent at (Local) 504 to handle the technology in the center. This did come up in the discussions. I can’t comment further.”

Another issue was whether the union would control the hiring of the heads of sound and other departments. Neither Kendrick nor Blanchard would say how exactly how the matter was resolved.

Such control has been a sensitive union issue in the past. It was one of the sticking points, for example, in a 1983 strike at the Long Beach Convention Center.

Kendrick said that aside from a regular crew of five union members, the Center will hire members of 504 as performances require.

“If you’re doing a symphony, there’s a very small crew, and if you’re doing an opera there’s a large crew,” Kendrick said.