Three years after “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone spent tens of millions to renovate and reopen it, the famous Colorado restaurant Casa Bonita has been charged with unfair labor practices by the National Labor Relations Board. A trial in Denver has been set for Dec. 7.
The charge comes nearly two years after performers at Casa Bonita, who include magicians and cliff divers among others, voted unanimously to join the live performers’ union Actors Equity. The NLRB accuses Casa Bonita of refusing to bargain in good faith with Actors Equity, as well as alleging the venue cut more than 1,000 hours from performers while contract talks were still ongoing.
“This complaint vindicates what the workers have been saying throughout 18 months of bargaining: Casa Bonita would rather play games with their livelihoods than seriously bargain for a fair contract,” said Andrea Hoeschen, general counsel for Actors’ Equity Association. “The NLRB’s complaint should be a wakeup call for the employer, but whether or not they choose to do the right thing, we’re in this for the long haul. We’ll see them back at the bargaining table soon – and then we’ll see them in court.”…