Partial deal reached over stagehands union records - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

INDIANAPOLIS - State inspectors investigating the stage rigging collapse at the Indiana State Fair may soon have some of the records it is seeking from the local stagehands union. The two sides averted a court fight Wednesday morning, agreeing instead to negotiate the release of pertinent information.

Both sides waited outside of an Marion County courtroom Wednesday morning as their attorneys agreed to work out a partial deal.

Last week, Eyewitness News cameras captured exclusive video of inspectors from Indiana's Occupational Safety and Health Administration trying to serve a search warrant on Local 30.

The state sought a warrant after several failed attempts to get training, disciplinary and payroll records for Nathan Byrd and nine other union members who were assigned to work on or around the scaffolding that fell. Meanwhile, the union says it's willing to cooperate with the release of some records.

"Obviously we have concerns about the privacy and rights of our members, but if we are issued a subpoena as I would expect, in lieu of a search warrant, we will be much more likely to be able to provide the documents that the attorney general's office is interested in looking at," said Bill Groth, IATSE Local 30 attorney.

The union still argues the workers were State Fair Commission employees, not union employees. A hearing on that issue will be heard November 3rd.

In the meantime, a court ordered stay will prevent the state from serving a search warrant.