Next steps: The current and potential future of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre labor dispute

A lot has happened at Dallas Black Dance Theatre in the last few months.

After the dancers unionized, they say the company retaliated against them with a series of actions. Management then fired all of the main company dancers, which because of a social video sent by dancers. But dancers say what’s going on is much deeper: A cultural gap in the dance troupe.

Let’s go over a few important points to understand what to expect next:

1. There has been a feud between the dancers and the management for months.

The dancers formed a union with the American Guild of Musical Artists in May, saying the dance company responded with actions that included firing one dancer and cutting off their additional revenue stream.

In June and August, AGMA filed unfair labor practice charges, and the company then laid off all of its main company dancers in August.

The dance troupe filed an unfair labor practices lawsuit against the union in September.

2. The dance community did not voluntarily recognize the union

There are two ways for employees to form a union: by voting in elections or by having the employer voluntarily recognize the union. National Labor Relations Board Website.

Former DBDT dancers notified management on April 30 that they planned to unionize. DBDT did not voluntarily recognize the union, leaving the dancers to seek recognition through an NLRB election; they voted unanimously to unionize on May 29.

3. Both the National Labor Relations Board and the city of Dallas are investigating the Dallas Black Dance Theatre.

The NLRB is currently investigating unfair labor practice charges filed by the union against the dance company. They will also investigate a criminal charge Dallas Black Dance Theatre filed a lawsuit against the union in September.

Grant Hayden, a professor who teaches business law and corporate governance at SMU, said the NLRB regional director will decide whether to file a complaint and whether the case will move forward based on the findings.

“If they decide to file a complaint, the complaint will probably say that the board thought these employees were fired because they were union members,” he said.

In the next few weeks, you can also look for a report on the findings of an investigation by the City of Dallas’ Office of Inspector General, which is looking into the facts and timeline of the dancers’ termination at DBDT.

4. The NLRB’s decision will likely take months

The NLRB’s investigation typically takes several months because the agency needs to talk to people and gather evidence. But it’s difficult to know how long the process will take because there are a number of factors, including NLRB staffing levels and the complexity of the case.

“I think it varies greatly depending on the nature of the investigation,” Hayden said.

It was stated that the investigation could take months, and the entire process, including objections, could take years.

5. Regardless of the outcome of the NLRB investigation, the union and dance community will need to work together.

Because the union will represent the dancers who fill these positions at DBDT.

“Therefore, the dance community and the union remain obligated to bargain with each other regarding the terms and conditions of employment,” he said.

This means DBDT cannot make sweeping changes to their terms and conditions. They must go to the union and negotiate a contract.

“So the old group of dancers were the ones who were previously in those positions and they were laid off, that doesn’t mean the union was laid off.”

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