By Brendan O'Brien

Jan 7 (Reuters) - The National Labor Relations Board's Tampa office on Friday approved a $2.2 million settlement ending a decade-long dispute between a Florida performing arts center and a union representing stage employees.

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach will pay the money to 248 employees represented by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, AFL-CIO, Local 500.

The employees will be paid in two installments, on Jan. 15 and on Jan. 15, 2014, the board said in a statement.

"I think we as well as the union are glad to have the dispute behind us," said Stephen Schuster, an attorney for the Kravis Center.

"Both sides are looking forward to a working relationship that is to the mutual benefit of both parties," Schuster, of Constangy, Brooks & Smith in Kansas City, Missouri, said.

Attorneys for the stage employee union were unavailable to comment Friday.

The relationship began to deteriorate in 2000 when the center fired six stagehands, refused to recognize the union and declared an impasse in negotiations, according to the AFL-CIO. The union filed a complaint with the NLRB, which in 2001 found the Kravis Center was in violation of federal labor laws.

In 2007, the NLRB ruled the center violated federal labor law by failing to bargain to an impasse with the union by unilaterally changing wages, conditions of employment and refusing to hire union workers for more than 700 productions since 2001.

In July, the union filed a new complaint, alleging unfair labor practices on the part of the center in 2011 and 2012. The union withdrew those new allegations as part of the final settlement, the NLRB said.

On Dec. 19, the Kravis Center canceled the opening night and the next day's matinee performance of "Jersey Boys" because crews working the show refused to cross union picket lines, according to local media.

Four shows in all were canceled during a four-day strike that ended on Dec. 21, when both sides signed a five-year collective bargaining agreement. The agreement stipulated that the venue will recognize unionized workers and will hire workers through the union.

In accordance with the final settlement, three department heads were also reinstated, according to the NLRB.

The National Labor Relations Board Case is 06-CA-036484, 12-CA-027075, 12-CA-021361.

For Kravis Center For The Performing Arts: Charles Roberts, Kimberly Seten, Robert Janowitz and Stephen Schuster of Constangy, Brooks & Smith; and Jeffrey Pheterson of Ward, Damon, Posner, Pheterson & Bleau.

For International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees: Matthew Mierzwa of Mierzwa & Associates.

For NLRB: Jill Griffin, David Seid, Ronald Meisburg, John Higgins, John Ferguson and Linda Dreeben of NLRB.

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