Stagehands union urges Bloomington to require local labor and safety inspections for TNT festival

A representative of IATSE Local 193 told the Bloomington City Council that festival promoter USA Concerts has used out‑of‑area labor and contractors, raising safety and economic concerns, and urged the council to insist on local, certified stage crews for future events.

Michael Irvin, business agent for IATSE Local 193, told council he and his members have staffed the TNT (Tailgates and Tallboys) event for about a decade and that this year the promoter partnered with CrewOne, an out‑of‑state company, to supply labor. Irvin said using nonlocal labor diverts wages from the local economy: "This means when the work is done, that labor money will leave the area and go to other states and will not be reinvested into our local community by local stage hands."

Irvin also raised safety concerns based on past incidents and what he said were reduced safety practices by nonlocal crews. He described a prior collapse during teardown when an inexperienced crew worked on the VIP deck and said he observed crew members not wearing safety harnesses at heights "well above 20 to 30 feet." He recommended ongoing site inspections and that the city insist the promoter use local ETCP‑certified riggers, certified scaffolding crews and OSHA‑trained stagehands. "I would strongly suggest ongoing site inspections to guarantee safety," Irvin said.

Council members did not take immediate regulatory action in response to the public comments. The remarks were presented during the public‑comment period; Irvin asked the council to support using local labor in future contracts and to prioritize safety inspections for big events.