The Canadian National Exhibition’s chief executive says the ongoing labour dispute between Exhibition Place and technical and staging staff could result in about $1.5 million in losses at this year’s event.
Members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 58, who are typically responsible for setting up the annual fair in Toronto, have been locked out since late July and while Exhibition Place has employed temporary workers to pull off this year’s CNE, IATSE members have been picketing at the gates of Exhibition Place for the past month.
Virginia Ludy, chief executive officer of the CNE, penned a letter to Mayor John Tory and members of city council on Tuesday to highlight the impact the labour dispute has had on the fair this year.
“As we have repeatedly warned the Mayor, the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place and City Councillors, this lockout is having a significant negative impact on both attendance and revenues at the 2018 CNE,” Ludy wrote.
“Despite overwhelmingly positive feedback from visitors over our initial few days, we regret to report that our projected losses to-date are in the range of $1.5 million.”
She urged the city, as well as the Board of Governors of Exhibition Place to “re-engage” with the union. She also asked that the union stop picketing outside the CNE.
“The evidence shows that the picketing at our gates, sustained negative social media activities of IATSE and the resulting media coverage is discouraging ticket sales. It is not an issue of programming,” Ludy said, adding that the CNE has added new programming this year that has generated “strong interest.”
“The stalemate cannot continue,” Ludy concluded. “The CNE has only 14 days, including today, to try to recoup our early losses, reverse the negative messages regarding the picketing and put the focus back on the terrific programming on display at this year’s CNE.”
The letter comes after members of city council held a special meeting Tuesday to receive an update on contract negotiations.
This weekend, Tory said he hoped all parties involved in the labour dispute were “committed to the success of the CNE.”
“I just hope everybody at some point gets back to the bargaining table and gets on with finding a resolution, which is what we all want but we also need a contract that is modern,” Tory said Saturday.
“Things have changed dramatically at Exhibition Place as they’ve changed everywhere else in the world and the contract hasn’t really changed with it so that it what they are trying to sort out and I wish them every success in doing that.”
