American Girl Place files labor complaint

American Girl Place has filed a complaint against the Actors’ Equity Assn., claiming that the organization has been trying to influence employees at the New York outpost of the tween shopping empire to vote in favor of unionizing.

In a complaint filed Wednesday with the National Labor Relations Board, American Girl Place said that Actors’ Equity has been offering and granting membership in its ranks to actors and assistant stage managers who are part of the store’s theatrical productions in return for their support of the unionizing efforts.

Those being offered the membership don’t qualify for it according to the organization’s own rules, the complaint charges.

“We believe the Actors’ Equity Assn. violated the National Labor Relations Act by attempting to inappropriately influence the voters,” American Girl spokeswoman Julie Parks said.

Actors’ Equity spokeswoman Maria Somma said: “American Girl Place did not have the courtesy to give us the paperwork before they released it to the media.” She declined to comment further.

A telephone call to the NLRB was not immediately returned.

A vote on whether to unionize had been scheduled for mid-November, Parks said. She did not know whether the complaint would have any effect on it.

Actors at American Girl Place had gone on strike for two days in August, saying the company was guilty of unfair labor practices, and had withdrawn proposed salary raises after they expressed interest in joining Actors’ Equity.

American Girl, created in 1986, is a subsidiary of El Segundo-based Mattel Inc. and targets girls ages 9 to 12. It has grown from a tiny company based in Middleton, Wis., to a behemoth with more than 12 million dolls sold.

Girls can buy clothes for themselves and their dolls, plus products as diverse as facial wash and musical instruments. Overall sales were $436 million in 2005. There are two other retail locations, in Chicago and Los Angeles.

The Actors’ Equity Assn. represents 45,000 stage actors and managers across the country.