Preferred choice for the St. Lawrence Centre Redevelopment Competition

  • Brook McIlroy, Trahan Architects, and Hood Design Studio

    Votes: 11 13.9%

  • Diamond Schmitt, Smoke Architecture, and MVVA

    Votes: 12 15.2%

  • Hariri Pontarini, LMN Architects, Tawaw Collective, Smoke Architecture, and SLA

    Votes: 39 49.4%

  • RDHA, Mecanoo, Two Row Architect, and NAK Design Strategies

    Votes: 16 20.3%

  • Zeidler Architecture, Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Two Row Architect, and PLANT Architect

    Votes: 1 1.3%
  • Total voters
    79
  • Poll closed .
Technically a Broadway theatre has a minimum of 500 seats, which makes the two theatres at the SLC just perfect. For horrible viewing go next door.
 
The future of this building is not looking hopeful.
http://www.cp24.com/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20110813/110813_union_lockout/20110813/?hub=CP24Home

TORONTO — Management at a city-owned entertainment facility in Toronto have locked out their unionized employees after months of trying to reach a new agreement.

Negotiations between the Stage Technicians Union IATSE Local 58 and management at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts broke down early this morning.

The facility's board of directors is hoping to change a clause in the current contract that requires management to continue paying employees even if there is no work.

"We need to stop paying people when they're not working," said Jim Roe, the centre's general manager.

The current contract requires the centre to provide between 42 and 47 weeks of employment for union members, he said, even though the facility is only in use for about 35 weeks of the year on average.

The two sides have been negotiating since February of this year.

They will continue to negotiate during the lockout. Roe said he received an email from the union president overnight about returning to the negotiating table.

Union officials did not immediately return calls for comment.

The labour situation is starting to negatively affect the ability of arts groups in the city to operate, said Gary Crawford, a city councillor and St. Lawrence Centre board member.

The current contract "increases the costs to such a point where a theatre that wants to use the St. Lawrence Centre can't use it," he said.

The facility does 90 per cent of its business with not-for-profit theatre companies, Roe said, and the high costs of labour are making it difficult for them.

"They're taking less money in a market where they're already struggling with ticket sales."

The facility will continue to operate as usual during the lockout, Roe said, but he declined to say how they plan to do that if the union is unable to work.
 
Is this why they're trying to sell it ?
 
Now, *that* could be an interesting symbol: the City jettisoning the StLC as "gravy", coldly, just like that--practically Thatcherian in its efficiency...
 
The_Architect said:
The war on creativity takes another step..
Click to expand...

Sounds like the war on creativity is being waged by the union, not the city. It's the union's obscene demand for pay for no work for 7 to 12 weeks a year that's making stage productions unaffordable for many theatre companies in this city. Do you get 2 to 3 months of paid vacation a year where you work?
 
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condovo said:
It's the union's obscene demand for pay for no work for 7 to 12 weeks a year that's making stage productions unaffordable for many theatre companies in this city. Do you get 2 to 3 months of paid vacation a year where you work?
Click to expand...
I know -- it's like they're teachers, or university professors, or MPs, or city councillors!
 
condovo said:
Sounds like the war on creativity is being waged by the union, not the city. It's the union's obscene demand for pay for no work for 7 to 12 weeks a year that's making stage productions unaffordable for many theatre companies in this city. Do you get 2 to 3 months of paid vacation a year where you work?
Click to expand...

Well, it's such situations that led Maggie Thatcher to wield her axe to this-and-that, the LCC, whatever...
 
Tulse said:
I know -- it's like they're teachers, or university professors, or MPs, or city councillors!
Click to expand...

Teachers plan and develop course material, and train for the following school year during their summer break; university professors conduct research and attend conferences (for many, their so-called "off" time is busier than their "on" time); and politicians meet with their constituents (for what it's worth). In other words, for much of their vacation, teachers, professors, and politicians actually work.
 
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condovo said:
Teachers plan and develop course material, and train for the following school year during their summer break; university professors conduct research and attend conferences (for many, their so-called "off" time is busier than their "on" time); and politicians meet with their constituents (for what it's worth). In other words, for much of their vacation, teachers, professors, and politicians actually work.
Click to expand...

Lol, not any of the teachers I know. I have a handful of friends who are teachers and most of their time off is by the pool. But hey, I am sure there are a few hard working teachers out there ;)

Now back to the SLC. IF the city sells the land to a developer, I wonder what are the chances we get something tall here? shadowing on the park would be an issue no?
 
Teachers are paid for 187 days of work per year. In the old days a teacher received a paycheck at the end of each month, beginning on September 30th and ending June 30th. The teachers, through their federation, asked to have the pay structure changed so that the 187 days of salary was divided equally into 26 payments spread over the entire year. Many teachers do upgrading during the summer months, others do not.
 
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