The Dallas Black dancing Theatre faces the possibility of losing a sizable grant from the city of Dallas after coming under fire for closing its dancing company.
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The Dallas City Council voted on Wednesday to pull its nearly $250,000 grant from the Dallas Black Dance Theatre.
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This comes after the organization fired its company of dancers four months ago after they unionized.
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Councilmembers voted to reallocate the funding to other arts organizations in hopes of sending the message that “union busting” in Dallas will not be tolerated.
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A settlement agreement reached over the weekend included backpay and a personal apology for each dancer.
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The Dallas City Council voted on Wednesday to pull its nearly $250,000 grant from the Dallas Black Dance Theatre.
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This comes after the organization fired its company of dancers four months ago after they unionized.
-
Councilmembers voted to reallocate the funding to other arts organizations in hopes of sending the message that “union busting” in Dallas will not be tolerated.
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A settlement agreement reached over the weekend included backpay and a personal apology for each dancer.
DallasBy voting on Wednesday, the Dallas City Council aimed to make it clear that union busting will not be accepted in Dallas.
After the Dallas Black dancing Theatre fired its dancing company four months ago, the city council decided to revoke its quarter-million funding.
City council members claimed the settlement did not go far enough, despite the Dallas Black Dance Theatre and the union representing the fired dancers reaching a settlement agreement on Sunday.
Members of the Dallas City Council were informed by Griff Braun, the national organizing director of the American Guild of Musical Artists, that the current leadership of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre was not deserving of over $250,000.
He stated that this week was the fourth month after the dancers at DBDT were fired. “Four months of public outcry, scrutiny, plummeting ticket sales, donors backing away, widespread calls for change and four months of the reputation of an important institution disintegrating before our eyes.”
Georgia Scaife, president of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, described the conditions of the settlement struck on Sunday.
“The agreement in addition to making dancers whole for loss of income and expenses, we will have training for all employees and revised policies,” she stated. “We will ensure employees can raise concerns to management, of course, the board, and we will listen and take action.”
However, Braun claimed that the deal did not bring about the required improvement.
“At no point did the board heed the calls of public to hold leadership responsible for the terrible decisions they made,” he stated.
In agreement, Councilmember Paul Ridley suggested reducing the grant funds and redistributing them to other artistic institutions.
“What is really lacking in this settlement is any promise of a change in leadership,” he stated.
Adam Bazaldua, a council member, stated that he did not want the settlement with the dancers to be covered by the grant.
“I think we are sending a loud and clear message,” he stated. “There won’t be any new results if nothing changes the following year. I hope it serves as a wake-up call.
Up until this summer, the organization had a lengthy history of making excellent contributions to the arts, so several council members were worried that taking away the grant might hurt it.
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Dallas Black Dance Theatre fires 9 dancers over social media video; city council calls for probe
The dancers were dismissed, according to the theater, for “violating company policies” after sharing a video on social media. However, several council members and the dancers claim that this is a classic example of union-busting.
Seven percent of the organization’s budget is made up of the funds. However, eleven council members ultimately voted in favor of allocating the funds to other artistic institutions.
“We’re going to have big changes,” Councilman Omar Narvaez declared. “Even though it will hurt and be uncomfortable, that’s how you recover.
A personal apology to each dancer for harsh work regulations and an unlawful attempt to disband the union was also part of the settlement deal that was reached over the weekend.
The dancers stated that without a change in leadership, they would not want to rejoin the company.
In a statement following the vote, the president of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre said, “The city’s decision will undoubtedly negatively affect the Dallas community through its impact on our ability to deliver the programming and outreach that have defined our commitment to this community for decades.”
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The Dallas City Council meeting on Wednesday and earlier FOX 4 stories provided the information for this piece.
The Dallas City Council meeting on Wednesday and earlier FOX 4 stories provided the information for this piece.
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