A little over a month after reaching a tentative agreement with management, unionized ushers at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre have ratified their first labor contract.
Thirty-eight union members voted “yes” on the proposed pact while 13 voted “no” in a vote that took place on Monday, the ushers’ union IATSE B-192 shared with The Hollywood Reporter. The three-year agreement, which covers 70-odd workers, is retroactive to April 1 and will expire on March 28, 2027.
Citing conversation with coworkers about how they previously struggled to get by on “poverty” wages, usher and negotiations committee member Rachel Oshiro said, “I’m hopeful that this change will not only help my coworkers feel more financially secure, but feel confident in their work/employment moving forward.”
THR has reached out to the Hollywood Pantages Theatre for comment.
The new agreement will raise base wages for the ushers from $16.78 an hour to $20 an hour immediately, with compensation rising to $21.50 an hour in the last year of the contract. (Ushers who do VIP room check-in, work as trainers and/or in audience services will receive a $1 an hour increase on that pay rate.) It provides time and a half pay for workers who are on duty on holidays and additional pay if they work seven consecutive days in a row or three shifts in one day. The new deal institutes bereavement pay, a minimum call guarantee, a clothing stipend, language around call cancellations and a grievance and arbitration procedure.
The Hollywood Pantages ushers unionized in April 2023 after demonstrating majority support for joining IATSE B-192 in a National Labor Relations Board election vote. Contract negotiations began that summer and concluded with a tentative agreement in March 2024. Beyond ushers at the Hollywood Pantages, IATSE B-192 also represents park employees at Universal Studios Hollywood and tour guides at Dodger Stadium.
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