Performers plan strike over wages at Colorado's iconic Casa Bonita restaurant
Colorado's iconic Casa Bonita restaurant is launching Casa Boo-nita this year in hopes the spirit of Halloween will meet the colorful traditions of Día de los Muertos. But now, the performers may be missing from all the festivities.
Instead, they will be outside the restaurant on the picket line, striking for higher pay.
Earlier this week, actor Brooke Shields posted a video online calling out the owners, "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. The pair purchased the restaurant and spent more than $40 million on renovations before reopening in 2023. Shields said the entertainers are being paid less than their co-workers who serve food. She is president of the Actors' Equity Association, which is the union representing the performers who work at Casa Bonita.
Casa Bonita responded to the upcoming strike with this statement: "At Casa Bonita, we value all of our team members and their well-being. As a policy, we do not comment on ongoing labor negotiations."
About 80 workers at the restaurant in Lakewood voted to unionize less than a year ago. The group includes actors, cliff divers, puppeteers, and magicians employed at the theme restaurant that serves Mexican food.
In a bargaining petition, the union argues Denver's living wage is more than $30 an hour and many members are paid $21 an hour.
"Everyone really loves Casa Bonita. We love our jobs. We love entertaining the public there, and we really believe in this incredible space," said Casa Bonita diver Bethel Lindsley.
Lindsley and dozens of other performers plan to strike on Thursday, Oct. 30, through Nov. 1, as the restaurant kicks off its Halloween celebrations.
"They spent a lot of money on Boo-nita. They eliminated over 1,000 hours of work for our performers to make this event happen in the first place," said Lindsley.
Casa Bonita United, the workers' union representing the restaurant's performers under the Actors' Equity Association, said they haven't been able to reach an agreement with management on higher wages.
"We, the entertainment department, make less than all the servers and bartenders, all of the tech workers," said Lindsley. "We don't think that it's unreasonable to be paid a rate that is a relevant industry standard."
She also believes it's a matter of making Casa Bonita safer, saying staff haven't received any training in case of an emergency, "This isn't just about us right now. This is about the legacy and the future for Casa Bonita."
"South Park" airs on Comedy Central, which like CBS Colorado is part of Paramount Skydance.
