Sundance workers say they want change.
“We want to be staffed appropriately," said Sara Kenrick, a coordinator of event operations with Sundance. "We want to be compensated appropriately.”
She’s one of dozens of Sundance Institute employees involved in unionization efforts. Workers delivered their petition to Sundance leadership Monday.
Kenrick said among the changes employees want are better compensation, staffing and support, as well as a voice in major Sundance Institute decisions.
She said employees were especially frustrated with the festival’s March announcement it will leave Park City in 2027.
“The catalyst for getting us to really band together was the decision to move to Boulder, since we had no say in it and it affects us the most,” she said.
Workers set a Friday deadline for Sundance leaders to recognize the union.
“We’re hopeful that our leadership recognizes us,” Kenrick said. “If not, I know staff are prepared to withhold labor.”
A strike is on the table because a union election can’t be legally recognized right now. The National Labor Relations Board, which supervises those elections, is closed during the federal government shutdown.
Still, Kenrick, who lives in Salt Lake City, said she’s optimistic.
“We’ve gotten more signatures since we’ve announced, and yeah, it’s really exciting,” she said. “We’re hopeful that our leadership stands by what they say, they see that we’re in good faith, wanting to work together with them, not against them.”
Amber Espinosa-Jones lives in Los Angeles and has worked for Sundance for nearly a decade.
“I think there’s an overall kind of attitude of overworking, especially around festival season, which leads to burnout,” she said.
She said she hopes the move to Colorado will prove to be an opportunity for systemic changes for Sundance workers – and for other film festivals around the country.
“I think it potentially can have a greater impact than just us,” she said.
Union organizers say about 70 Sundance workers are eligible for the union, and about 70% of those signed union cards.
In a statement Monday, Sundance board members and leadership acknowledged the decision to unionize and said they intend to collaborate with the workers.
If the institute voluntarily recognizes the union, it must notify the workers and an election would not be needed. If not, the union could consider a strike, and an election when the government reopens.
