[URBAN NOTE] "Factory Theatre drops curtain on layoffs, union drive"

[rfmcdonald]

NOW Toronto's Steve Fisher reports on the grim news surrounding Toronto's Factory Theatre.

Factory Theatre is offering no comment on why half its 12 full-time staff, including technicians involved in a recent union drive, received layoff notices last month.

On February 3, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) posted a press release on its site proclaiming “Factory Theatre – Now Manufacturing Union Jobs!”

It states that Factory’s stage technicians had unanimously voted to join IATSE Local 58. “This is a great result for the employees, who are looking forward to working under their first collective bargaining agreement.”

Two days later, those technicians, along with “about half,” according to IATSE, of Factory’s 12 full-time staff, were called into separate meetings and given layoff notices of between two and 10 weeks.

An internal memo to all staff from artistic director Nina Lee Aquino reads in part: “Factory Theatre is not closing. The company is restructuring its staffing model to meet our current needs and position us for long term success. These were tough but necessary decisions, and we are supporting staff as they manage this transition. We remain committed to completing the current season with no disruption to our artists and audiences, and are looking forward to announcing our 2016/17 season in the coming months.”