|
|
Gene Berson, Show Foreman, 30 years
It's hectic sometimes, and as it gets closer to opening, it has to be finished. It’s like a play. When the curtain goes up, the show must go on. So as you get closer to the opening, the pressure mounts. And I'm telling you, when people get tired from working long hours, all the inhibitions come down. We get to know each other pretty well. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses. We know how to forgive and how to get each other going. You become pretty close working together over the years. We’ve had a few close calls, but we’ve never missed a deadline yet.
We also have to coordinate with the other unions: teamsters, electricians, janitors. Communication is vital. Labor unity is essential, and underlying that is the knowledge that we are all people trying to do the same thing
I was a writer, and a friend of mine, who is also a writer, was in the union and told me about it. The job is largely casual labor and draws people who are artists and writers and travelers, who don’t mind part-time work. When I started, there were a little over 100 members in the union; now there are almost 900. I’ve seen the trade change over the years. Now it’s more about numbers and corporate profits, satisfying the stockholders or the national office. Some of the companies, like Freeman, are still small enough so they can put customer satisfaction first, and that’s why I like working for them.
|
|
