Overview
- Actors' Equity president Brooke Shields is publicly representing about 80 Casa Bonita performers and says she visited the Lakewood restaurant in March to hand-deliver a letter asking for higher wages.
- The performers unionized in April 2024 and have since held roughly 14 bargaining sessions with management that Actors' Equity says have not produced a deal.
- Performers say they earn about $21–$26 per hour, roughly $10 less than tipped servers, and the union says management proposed a wage increase of less than $1 per hour.
- Workers and the union allege specific safety hazards, including hypothermia and chlorine exposure from the diving pool and incidents of groping by patrons, and say the venue lacks basic protections the performers seek.
- Actors' Equity has filed multiple complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, including at least seven alleging retaliation and refusal to bargain, while Casa Bonita management has declined comment on negotiations and owners Trey Parker and Matt Stone reportedly have not attended bargaining sessions.