Sundance Institute Workers Form Union with CWA

PARK CITY, Utah - Workers at Sundance Institute have formed a union, represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9003, and delivered a petition to Sundance leadership today demanding union recognition. The workers have asked management to recognize the union by Friday, October 31st.

The workers formed their union to empower and protect the staff as they call for necessary improvements to support the Institute's growing scope of work. In order to fulfill Sundance Institute's mission, staff concerns need to be prioritized with

reasonable timelines and benchmarks set for the organization. Collectively, the workers will negotiate for a union contract that guarantees equitable salary, benefits, and working conditions across departments.

"We are the staff of the Sundance Institute that are on the ground and working face-to-face with our audiences and artists," said Sara Kenrick, Coordinator, Event Operations. "We are the most valuable voices to this organization's purpose, and we have slowly but surely been pushed aside. We are understaffed and underpaid, and our concerns have been overlooked. If Sundance wants to continue being Sundance, they need to welcome us back to the table."

"Many of us enjoy remote work, but spread across cities and departments, people often feel isolated by workplace issues and don't realize others are dealing with similar things," said Sofia Celeste Tate, Feature Film Program Coordinator. "Our union is a means to communicate and organize around shared priorities and concerns, which has already connected us in a powerful way."

Sundance Institute founder Robert Redford recognized the role of Institute staff in the organization's core principles: "Protect our people. The staff of the Institute has been and always will be its greatest asset. It is important that we provide the team with the support to execute and thrive in their positions. If things get out of balance and team members are spread thin, we are not serving any purpose properly. The Institute nurtures and supports artists - the same should be true with our team members."

"The Communications Workers of America Local 9003 proudly welcomes the Sundance Institute into our union family," said Marisa Remski, president of CWA Local 9003. "We congratulate all the talented individuals whose collective efforts have brought this historic achievement to life. This marks another step forward in strengthening solidarity, ensuring equity, and amplifying the voices of creative professionals across the industry."

The Sundance Institute is a nonprofit organization founded by actor Robert Redford to promote independent artists and support emerging and aspiring filmmakers, directors, producers, film composers, screenwriters, playwrights, and theater artists. Sundance workers also produce the critically acclaimed Sundance Film Festival.

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About CWA: The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech, and other fields.

cwa-union.org @cwaunion