Six months after the prestigious Dallas Black Dance Theatre chose to f*ck around — by wrongfully firing all of its dancers just days before the season was set to start — they’re now finding out the hard way that worker’s rights are protected by law.
The theater reached a $560,000 settlement with the National Labor Relations Board on Sunday to compensate the 10 fired dancers as well as another three dancers whose offers of employment were rescinded, according to The Dallas Morning News. The money makes up for back pay, front pay, and compensation for damages after the dancers were fired.
This past May, the dancers voted to unionize with the American Guild of Musical Artists for the usual reasons — because they wanted better working conditions. Terrell Rogers, one of the fired dancers, told KERA that everything they did was being controlled, and he felt they were being asked to “look more aligned with the white supremacist culture of America.”
“These ten dancers have taught a master class in courage and unity,” said Jeffrey Boyd, the national executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists, in a press release. “Their fight is a testament to the power of collective action, and their resilience has set a precedent for artists everywhere.”
In addition to the settlement money, the dance company management must also write each dancer a letter of apology, as well as fund and place a full seven-page National Labor Relations Board notice detailing the company’s misconduct in The Dallas Morning News. The Company must also negotiate with the union for future worker protections, as well as work with the board to engage in labor rights training for all managers, supervisors, and employees.
The dancers at the center of the fight are hosting a two-night benefit concert at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas on December 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. CST.
Read more at The Dallas Morning News.