Fired dancers hold second picket in Dallas
Dallas, TX – Dancers from the Dallas Black Dance Theater (DBDT) held their latest picket, November 9, outside the Wylie Theater against their firing in August.
The dancers unanimously voted to unionize with the American Guild of Musical Artists and were promptly fired by the theater for their efforts. The DBDT management issued a do not work order and claimed the dancers engaged in misconduct, thereby violating company policies. AGMA filed unfair labor practice (ULP) charges with the National Labor Relations Board. On November 4, the NLRB issued a complaint to the Dance Theater, including 40 counts of unlawful conduct based on the dancers' protected activities.
The picket was attended by several groups including Young Active Labor Leaders, Freedom Road Socialist Organization, the Democratic Socialists of America, Party of Socialism and Liberation, and the Communist Party USA.
The attendees of the picket marched around the outside the theater, chanting “Drop your ticket, join our picket” and “Dallas Black, bring them back,”
Rick Majumdar of the Freedom Road Socialist Organization and a member of Teamsters 767 delivered a speech saying, “These union-busting efforts by the company will not deter these dancers from fighting for their rights. We are united with these dancers as a class against management.”
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