Negotiations have stalled between the Medieval Times entertainment company and the union representing the cast at the Lyndhurst location. New Jersey members tried to unionize last summer, following in the footsteps of workers at other locations nationwide. But workers say the company won’t negotiate in good faith.
The union’s name is Medieval Times Performers United, and the company is suing the union for trademark infringement, alleging the union’s name could create “consumer confusion.”
“It seems like we’re being punished for unionizing, when all we want to do is have a safe work environment and get paid properly for what we do,” said worker Jonathan Beckas.
William Brucher, a professor of Labor Studies and Employment Relations at Rutgers University, said of the union name, “My understanding, it’s well within fair use, because they are, of course, workers at Medieval Times … To me, it’s just an attempt at punitive retaliation.”
The next step in the ongoing legal dispute between Medieval Times and the union will come Tuesday, when a judge is expected to rule on a motion, brought by the union, to dismiss the trademark violation lawsuit.
