Members of the International Alliance of Theatrical State Employees staged a protest on Monday at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds, seeking to draw attention to what they described in a press release as unfair working conditions at several Pacific Northwest show venues including the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater, which adjoins the fairgrounds.
The protest is targeted at Live Nation, a music and live show production company with a substantial presence in the Pacific Northwest, as well as Rhino Staging Northwest, which frequently provides backstage services at Live Nation events.
Rhino staff voted to unionize in 2015 citing unfair labor conditions and safety concerns, according to the press release, but the staff allege that the company is refusing to negotiate a contract with the union, and they say that the company’s gig economy hiring model deprives them of health insurance and allows the company to simply stop hiring workers who complain about the conditions.
