A beleaguered union effort between performance artists and stable hands at the Medieval Times' Buena Park Castle has come to an end.
The American Guild of Variety Artists, the union backing workers who organized at Buena Park, as well as another popular themed dinner theater venue in New Jersey, filed papers asking for their support.
The move came after actors in both locations backed petitions asking the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election to remove AGVA as their union representative. They filed their petitions to decertify the union with free legal assistance from the National Right to Work Foundation, a conservative, anti-union group, which hailed the union's withdrawal as a victory.
“AGVA union officials treated each Medieval Times castle as their own personal fiefdom, but their actions led to an uprising of the grassroots they purported to 'represent,'” said National Right to Work Foundation President Mark Mix .
AGVA said in an emailed statement that during the course of contract negotiations, a large number of Medieval Times staff who had voted to be represented by the union left Medieval Times, making it difficult for the union to continue its role.
“Without the original support we began with, combined with circumstances beyond our control, it became impossible to continue,” the union said, noting that the effort began two years ago at the Lyndhurst, New Jersey, location and nearly two years ago in Buena Park. . “With great regret to those seeking industry-standard working conditions and salaries, we have sent a letter of disinterest.”
The two Medieval Times dining rooms were part of a wave of organizing in recent years in workplaces that were not traditionally represented by unions, such as strippers at a North Hollywood bar and baristas at Starbucks locations.
Workers involved in the union allege they were subjected to intimidation and retaliation by managers during their nine-month strike last year, as well as in recent months, forcing many to decide to leave the company and shrinking the group. of workers who supported the union.
Medieval Times did not respond to a request for comment.
Erin Zapcic, who plays a queen at Buena Park Castle and served as a union steward, said that in recent months, Medieval Times illegally changed workers' shifts and subjected them to grueling menial jobs, such as shoveling. horse manure for hours at a time.
“Medieval Times has operated like a king lording over his kingdom during its 40 years of business. He has never been accountable to anyone and used a lot of intimidation to get people to fall in line,” Zapcic said.
Of about 27 employees who returned to work in November after the strike, fewer than five remain employed at Medieval Times, he said.
Zapcic said that during the strike, Medieval Times went on a hiring spree to replace striking workers and keep shows going, and it was largely those new employees who supported petitions to decertify the union.
“I'm heartbroken. I put every ounce of myself, every ounce of passion and energy over the last two years into this fight,” she said. “We really just wanted to have a voice in the workplace.”
“The union is pretty much dead right now,” said William Hainsworth, 55, a former casting director at Buena Park Castle, who was fired from Medieval Times about a year ago and alleges in a pending lawsuit that he was unfairly fired. for expressing his support for the union.
“I don't regret anything,” Hainsworth said. “There's a lot of shady things going on there.”
Buena Park Medieval Times workers voted to unionize in November 2022, citing low wages and a desire to improve working conditions, including better treatment of animals involved in the show.
In February last year, workers went on strike when wage negotiations during contract negotiations broke down.
While on strike, workers said they experienced anti-union tactics by the company and picket violence by employers, and workers filed multiple unfair labor practice complaints with the National Labor Relations Board.
Lawmakers criticized Medieval Times for alleged union-busting, and New Jersey Democratic Sens. Bob Menendez and Cory Booker sent a letter last May urging the company's CEO, Perico Montaner, to cease anti-union activities and negotiate in good faith. with workers in California. and New Jersey. But negotiations remained stalled.
In November, Buena Park Castle workers returned to work, ending their nine-month strike without a contract agreement.
When they returned to work, Medieval Times refused to reinstate three of the striking workers, accusing them of “misconduct during the strike,” according to the union. Among those workers was Jake Bowman, a gentleman and union activist who had raised allegations of horse abuse at the castle.
At the time, the union called the company's decision “a blatant and illegal retaliation.”
