Lawyer of stagehands union weighs in on fair report

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The lawyer representing the union for stagehands who built the rigging that collapsed at the State Fair said he agrees in large part with the investigative report that harshly criticizes the structure's design.

The report, done by Thornton Tomasetti and released Thursday, concludes that the rigging fell after winds reached 43 mph. The report says the design of the structure did not comply with industry standards.

Bill Groth, who represents IATSE Local 30, the group of stagehands and riggers who built the temporary structure, reiterated the union’s position: its members are note at fault.

Asked whether he thought the report absolves the union from responsibility in the Aug. 13 stage rigging collapse, he replied: “I think as a legal matter, yes it does."

He makes a distinction between labor and design.

"I think the report goes a long way toward saying what we have been saying all along, which is that Local 30 is a labor union. We aren't a structural engineering firm. We provide workers."

Those workers, he said, followed the design plans when they constructed the rigging at the State Fair grandstand, but those plans were flawed.

He argues the workers were also victims of the flawed design. One stagehand died, and at least six others were injured when the structure collapsed.