Mirage stagehands reject union

Wednesday, June 20, 2001 | 10:36 a.m.

Stagehands at the Mirage's famed Siegfried & Roy show voted heavily against union representation in a Tuesday evening vote.

Of the 96 employees eligible to participate in the National Labor Relations Board vote, 71 voted against representation by the International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees, while 21 voted for it.

"This vote by our stagehands represents a firm rejection of the need for third-party representation by the IATSE," said Mirage President William McBeath. "With this election behind us, we look forward to the opportunity to continue to build the relationship between our stagehands and our company without the intrusion of third parties."

The union represents about 4,500 employees in the Las Vegas area. Prior to the vote, union officials said they were trying to organize the employees because of complaints that the Mirage had turned more "corporate" following its takeover by MGM Grand Inc., now known as MGM MIRAGE. IATSE organizers couldn't be reached for comment this morning.

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