Performers picketed Casa Bonita after management walks out of contract talks

Performers at Casa Bonita said they plan to picket on Thursday after management walked away from negotiations without reaching an agreement on the restaurant’s first union contract.

The workers — including cliff divers, actors and other entertainers at the landmark Lakewood restaurant — are represented by the Actors’ Equity Association, the national union for professional performers and stage managers.

Union leaders said Casa Bonita’s management ended talks this week after offering just an 11 cent increase from its previous wage proposal.

“Despite that insult, the negotiating team responded with major compromises to try to get a deal,” said Andrea Hoeschen, assistant executive director and general counsel for Actors’ Equity. “And then Casa Bonita walked away from the table without responding.”

The performers plan to picket outside the restaurant at 11 a.m. on Thursday, according to the union.

Negotiations have been ongoing since April. The performers voted to unionize in November 2024 and reaffirmed their support with a labor peace vote this past August. In September, the union filed an unfair labor practice complaint, accusing Casa Bonita of cutting more than 1,000 hours from workers’ schedules without bargaining.