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DENVER (KDVR) — The actors and performers of the iconic Denver restaurant, Casa Bonita, will be on strike starting Thursday morning after contract negotiations crumbled.
“‘Casa Boo-nita’ will be dressed as an empty pink building for Halloween!” the Actors’ Equity Association announced Wednesday after noting that Casa Bonita management “walked away from the negotiating table.”
Contract negotiations began in April after the workers voted to unionize in November last year, and the union’s arcade staffers were voluntarily recognized by IATSE Local 7 in July. Also included in the union are cliff divers, actors, puppeteers and magicians who perform at the restaurant.
The union noted in its Wednesday press release that Casa Bonita underwent a $40 million renovation in 2023, a project funded by the creators of South Park and owners of the restaurant, Trey Parker and Matt Stone.
“Casa management came to the table today offering an additional 11 cents over their last unfair wage offer, and very little for future layoff protections,” said lead negotiator Andrea Hoeschen, assistant executive director and general counsel for Actors’ Equity Association, in the union’s strike announcement. “Despite that insult, the negotiating team responded with major compromises to try to get a deal. And then Casa Bonita walked away from the table without responding.
“We know they can pay the wages we’re asking for because they already pay basically the same wages to the servers and bartenders,” Hoeschen added. “Their insistence on paying DOLLARS an hour less to the performers reflects a choice and a philosophy to devalue performers.”
FOX31 contacted the restaurant and received a brief statement on the matter.
“At Casa Bonita, we value all of our team members and their well-being. As a policy we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations,” said Casa Bonita management.
The union invited supporters to join them at picket lines on Oct. 30, 31 and Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
“While we are disappointed in management’s inability to stop this strike, we are excited to show them what solidarity looks like and remind them that without the performers, Casa just isn’t Casa,” Casa Bonita United shared on the union’s Instagram story.
Union filed Unfair Labor Practices charge in September
Casa Bonita has been described by the creators of South Park as the “Disneyland of restaurants” that has “Broadway-quality entertainment.”
In September, the union filed an Unfair Labor Practices charge against the restaurant, alleging the restaurant cut more than 1,000 hours from workers without bargaining. The action included cutting several roaming characters: Black Bart, Captain Isabella, Amazon Ani and the Sheriff, according to the union.
“Since then, Casa Bonita has added insult to injury by doubling down on an unfair wage proposal and refusing to respond to demands around performer safety. Last week, the workers delivered a petition to management urging them to accept the contract that is currently on the table,” the Actors’ Equity Association said in its Wednesday release.
The petition said many of its members only make $21 per hour and alleged performers are “some of the lowest-paid workers at Casa Bonita while employees in other departments make an actual living wage (plus tips, which we have not asked for).” The petition said management proposed a 3% raise over two years.
The petition also addressed safety, saying divers do not have “any real emergency plans” should a dive go wrong, and there is no real emergency plan in case of a fire, active shooter or other threat.
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Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
