Pabst Theater Group security workers have officially joined the Milwaukee Area Service & Hospitality Workers Union following an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.
A total of six security workers participated in the mail-in election, according to an announcement from MASH.
PTG employees who voted to join the union Friday provide in-house event security at venues including the Pabst Theater, Riverside Theater, Turner Hall Ballroom, Miller High Life Theater and Vivarium.
PTG security workers unanimously voted to join MASH as the union finalizes a new collective bargaining agreement for the hospitality, event staff and box office employees.
An earlier group of PTG workers voted to unionize in June 2022 with a 94% vote. PTG and MASH reached the first union contract in November of that year.
“Our union also acknowledges and appreciates the choice made by PTG management while PTG workers made a choice on unionization: instead of opposition to unionization, engaging in union-busting, and disrespecting the process of workers exercising their union rights, PTG decided to allow these employees to choose freely and fairly,” said Peter Rickman, president and business manager, MASH.
There was no single reason that PTG security workers decided to join MASH, according to the union’s announcement.
“PTG security workers recognized that forming a union is the way service and hospitality workers can balance the power with employers, secure a meaningful voice and seat at the table, and negotiate a union contract on all the issues that matter to them for their jobs,” said Rickman. “PTG security workers came together, decided democratically to act collectively, and their livelihoods will be better off for it. “
