Casa Bonita Workers Announce Unionization Effort With Actors' Equity Association and IATSE

Casa Bonita, metro Denver's beloved eatertainment destination now owned by Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the Colorado creatives behind South Park, is undergoing another transformation. After reopening (softly) in June 2023, the pink palace began taking reservations in September. Now the venue’s entertainment cast and crew are taking collective action to improve their working conditions by unionizing through the Actors' Equity Association (AEA) and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 7.

Their aim? To secure fair wages, improve safety measures and ensure clearer communication with management, they say, citing concerns ranging from unsafe working conditions to dealing with unruly patrons who've been drinking.

“We’ve learned so much throughout the process of reopening Casa Bonita, and while our love for Casa Bonita has grown deeper, so have our concerns about the work still left to do,” wrote the workers leading the unionization effort in a joint statement with AEA and IATSE released today, October 16. “That is why we’ve chosen to unionize. We believe a strong union contract could help us solve the challenges we’ve encountered around safety, scheduling, compensation and communication. Having a document that clearly sets shared expectations — and the mechanisms to enforce those expectations — will strengthen Casa Bonita and enable us to provide the best possible experience for our guests.”

Since it opened in 1974, Casa Bonita has captivated visitors with its unique blend of dining and entertainment. The restaurant gained national notoriety after being featured in a 2003 episode of South Park; Stone and Parker purchased the place in late 2021, renovating it at a cost north of $40 million. And the improvements have continued even as fans flood the place, with new menu items and tipping policies.

"Casa Bonita values all its employees and their safety and believes they are treated well and compensated fairly," the restaurant says in a statement regarding the unionization efforts. "We respect the rights of our employees and believe they should be entitled to vote on whether they are subject to a union."

Both AEA and IATSE Local 7 bring decades of experience advocating for the rights of performers and behind-the-scenes talent. AEA represents 51,000 actors and stage managers across the country, including those working in live theater on Broadway and at theme parks like Disneyland and Walt Disney World. IATSE, with over 170,000 members, represents stagehands, technicians and other crew members who work in venues ranging from theaters to film studios to exhibitions.

"Every person working in entertainment deserves the rights and protections of a union, whether you work in a bar, club, theater, arena, convention center, film studio — or the most fun restaurant imaginable," says Max Peterson, business agent for IATSE Local 7. "The performers and crew at Casa Bonita are vital to creating the experience that so many love, and we’re proud to be collaborating with these workers and Actors’ Equity in our shared pursuit to secure fair pay, benefits and working conditions for everyone at this revered landmark."

“Casa Bonita is the greatest restaurant in the world, so it makes sense that their entertainment workers should be represented by the greatest unions in the world," says Stephanie Frey, director of organizing and mobilization for AEA. "We have a long relationship with IATSE, and we are so proud to stand with them, our union siblings. This sort of coordination could mean big things in the future for unionizing the entertainment industry.”

The Casa Bonita performers got in touch with AEA through the Organize Your Workplace form on the union's website; it's designed to make unionization more accessible. Those workers who want to unionize but might not fit into AEA or IATSE are referred to other unions that better meet their needs.

The Casa Bonita unionization effort reflects a broader national movement in which entertainment industry workers are seeking union representation. In recent years, AEA has organized a wide variety of performers, from character actors and parade workers at Disneyland to strippers in Los Angeles and Portland, as well as performers in productions like Drunk Shakespeare across the country. IATSE Local 7 has had successful campaigns at such prominent Denver venues as the Marquis Theatre and Summit Music Hall, as well as various departments at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.

Workers at two Alamo Drafthouse locations in the metro area filed for unionization this year; workers at the Denver Art Museum elected to unionize in March. Union membership in Denver has grown for the third consecutive year, reflecting a broader surge in labor organizing across various industries. And in November, Denver voters will weigh in on Ballot Measure 2U, which would give city employees the right to bargain collectively.