Cliff divers, magicians and other performers at Casa Bonita are seeking to unionize to address safety concerns in the workplace and negotiate their pay.
Their concerns range from insufficient training, scheduling and safety to “abusive patrons emboldened by alcohol,” according to a statement released Wednesday by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 7, which represents theatrical stage, film and exhibition workers in Colorado, and the Actors’ Equity Association.
Casa Bonita, at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. in Lakewood, employs a cast of roving performers who engage with guests throughout the famed restaurant and venue. The most well-known are the cliff divers who perform stunts off the 30-foot waterfall, a focal point of the restaurant experience. But there are also actors, puppeteers, magicians and other crew.
A letter from Casa Bonita’s general manager to staff, obtained by The Denver Post, shows the restaurant declined to voluntarily recognize the union and suggested there be a vote. The employees have filed with the National Labor Relations Board for a union election.
“Every person working in entertainment deserves the rights and protections of a union, whether you work in a bar, club, theater, arena, convention center, film studio – or the most fun restaurant imaginable,” Max Peterson, business agent for IATSE Local 7, said in a statement.
“Casa Bonita values all its employees and their safety and believes they are treated well and compensated fairly. We respect the rights of our employees and believe they should be entitled to vote on whether they are subject to a union,” the restaurant’s management said in a statement provided to The Denver Post.
Joshua Emerson, an actor who plays the gorilla at Casa Bonita, said there have been numerous incidents involving guests who interact inappropriately with entertainers. In one example, Emerson said a patron grabbed a lime from behind a bar and threw it at the face of his colleague who was in the gorilla suit that night.
“Alcohol is a big part of revenue and patrons, you know, they indulge,” Emerson said. “We’re on the floor until 10 (p.m.) and really we have a timeline. At 8 p.m. we know that’s when people are going to be the drunkest, so we sort of have to watch our backs.”
“It’s hard not to feel sometimes like management prioritizes guest experience over the safety of their employees,” added actor Riley Holmes, who plays several different characters at Casa Bonita. Holmes said he has been groped by diners before.
According to Emerson and Holmes, actors are paid a flat hourly rate, from about $21 to $28, determined by which role they are playing. Right now, it’s unclear how individuals are promoted or when their pay rate increases due to a promotion, prompting some employees to leave, they said.
“The people that work in entertainment at Casa Bonita believe in it,” Emerson said. “What we want to be doing is be at a place where it’s safe to work, but also so we can connect generations, so Casa Bonita, I think, can be an institution in the Colorado zeitgeist forever.”
He added that contracted workers like musicians, tarot card readers, caricature artists, face painters and balloon artists aren’t part of this action.
This is not the first time Casa Bonita employees have discussed unionizing since the restaurant reopened under the ownership of “South Park” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. In June 2023, front-of-house service staff sent a list of demands to the owners after they announced plans to eliminate tips and instead pay employees a flat hourly rate.
While that effort didn’t come to fruition, the restaurant did change some of its practices. It now pays a flat hourly rate and also offers guests the opportunity to tip. It recently opened reservations to the general public after more than a year in the soft opening phase.
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