Sundance Institute Workers United announced on Instagram Friday that film festival leadership had committed to voluntarily recognizing the union.
Voluntary recognition makes the union official, without the National Labor Relations Board having to hold an election.
“We are currently working out the details of the agreement and look forward to sharing more soon,” the union said.
KPCW has reached out to the Sundance Institute and the Communications Workers of America for comment.
Sundance Institute Workers United is a unit of the much larger CWA, which represents about 700,000 workers in media, airlines, education, health and other fields. The Park City Mountain ski patrol union is also part of CWA.
The Sundance union previously told KPCW it would strike if it wasn’t recognized by Sundance leadership. That’s partly because the NLRB is closed during the ongoing government shutdown and can’t administer a union election.
Union organizers say about 70 Sundance workers are eligible for the union, and about 70% of those signed union cards. They also said employees were especially frustrated with the festival’s March announcement it will leave Park City in 2027.
In a statement Oct. 27, Sundance board members and leadership acknowledged the decision to unionize and said they intended to collaborate with the workers.
The final Sundance Film Festival in Park City runs from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1, 2026. After that, it will be held in Boulder, Colorado.
