Sundance Institute employees petition for union recognition

SUNDANCE, Utah (ABC4) — Employees with the Sundance Institute have formed a union and are now petitioning Sundance leadership for recognition.

According to the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 9003, employees at the Sundance Institute have formed a union.

“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.”

Sundance Institute Employees delivered a petition to Sundance today and are demanding union recognition. They are asking management to recognize the union by Friday, October 31st.

The union, according to CWA, will help protect the staff as they work for necessary improvements. Concerns that employees want addressed include a lack of equitable salary or benefits and a lack of staffing resources.

“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.”

Another employee, Sofia Celeste Tate, stated that the union allows for a partially isolated and remote work environment to communicate and share concerns with all employees.

She said, “Our union is a means to communicate and organize around shared priorities and concerns, which has already connected us in a powerful way.”

CWA officials have also argued that Robert Redford, the founder of Sundance, believed in protecting the employees. They state that Redford believes in nurturing and supporting artists, which should include all team members involved in Sundance Institute’s mission.

ABC4 reached out to Sundance’s leadership for a comment on this union. They provided the following statement:

We, the Board and Leadership of the Sundance Institute, acknowledge the decision from a group of staff to organize as a union under the Communications Workers of America Local 9003. 

We strongly support unions and their contributions to American society. We respect staff’s ability to organize collectively, value their dedication to the Institute’s vision, and we are committed to working collaboratively with them. 

Sundance Institute looks forward to engaging with staff in this process to support the needs of our employees and look forward to working together to continue to carry our mission forward.
Sundance Institute