Union workers threaten to block Rolling Stones concerts
San Francisco-area Teamsters formed a picket line outside of Pacific Bell Park on Monday (11/4) in an effort to discourage the promoter of this weekend’s two Rolling Stones concerts from using non-union workers.
San Francisco-area Teamsters formed a picket line outside of Pacific Bell Park on Monday (11/4) in an effort to discourage the promoter of this weekend’s two Rolling Stones concerts from using non-union workers.
Members of Teamsters Local 85 hope to convince Bill Graham Presents and parent company Clear Channel Communications to hire union workers to unload and load equipment for The Rolling Stones’ Friday (11/8) and Saturday (11/9) performances, the San Francisco Chronicle reported on Tuesday (11/5).
“Our guys are trained and certified to do this,” Local 85 secretary-treasurer Van Bean told the newspaper. “We want them to recognize the Teamsters workers.”
Bean said that his union has been seeking negotiations with Bill Graham Presents for five years, and hopes that the picket line will result in an agreement. Union members are reportedly prepared to picket non-stop straight through the weekend concerts.
The picketing could ultimately cause the concerts to be canceled, Bean told the paper.
Sherry Wasserman, senior executive vice president of Bill Graham Presents, expressed surprise about the incident, the paper reported.
“Where have they been for the last 30 years?” she said. “Now to come in here and throw up a picket line and demnd that we use them? That’s just a strong-arm tactic. They want to come in here and tell us that we have to tell people who’ve worked for us for 30 years that they can’t have their jobs.”
The promoter has a long-standing contract with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 16, but that union’s members have reportedly said that they will not cross the Teamster’s picket line.
A meeting between Bill Graham Presents and Local 85 was set for Tuesday (11/5).
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