Joffrey Ballet Ends Lockout
By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 15, 2011 3:00PM
Now this is how collective bargaining is supposed to work. Joffrey Ballet has ended its lockout of its dancers as the two sides have agreed in principle on a new five-year contract. Joffrey Executive Director Christopher Conway said all that's left is a majority vote from dancers approving the contract.
Sun-Times theater critic Hedy Weiss writes that Conway is thrilled the two sides agreed to a longer-term contract; previous deals between the ballet and its dancers have been for three years. The deal also gives dancers a minimum 10 percent raise over the length of the contract, with the raise front-loaded into the first four years. The deal also calls for a gradual phasing in of six-hour rehearsal days, a major point of contention between Joffrey and the dancers, while retaining the dancers' family health insurance rates.