The Stage

Broadway goes dark as stagehands go on strike

Published Monday 12 November 2007 at 10:50 by Judd Hollander

All but a handful of Broadway theatres have gone dark, after New York stagehands went on strike at the weekend over conditions of pay.

Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) which represents Broadway backstage staff, went on strike as of 10am Saturday (November 10). It has been estimated Broadway will lose approximately $17million for each day the strike lasts.

The 10am strike time was called in order to halt the first Broadway performance of the day, the family musical How The Grinch Stole Christmas, which would have begun at 11am on Saturday morning.

Only a small number of shows continue to operate, among them Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, Xanadu, and several presented by various not-for-profit theatre companies, all of which are operating under different stagehand contracts.

After a series of meetings between Thomas C. Short, president of IATSE, and the League of American Theatres and Producers failed to defuse the situation, Short gave his official authorisation for the strike, which the membership had unanimously voted in favour of last month.

The chief sticking points in the negotiations are various union work rules, specifically those which require the league to hire a set number of workers for a specific period (such as during the load-in of a show) whether they need them or not. The league has called such requirements out of date and is insistent on changing the regulations, while the union, citing job security and the fact that Broadway makes enormous profits each year, wants to keep them in place.

Although the official go-ahead for the strike was given on November 9, exactly when it would begin was undecided for several hours, with Local One considering whether or not to wait until Tuesday so as not to inconvenience weekend ticket holders. But the decision eventually came down to start the strike the next day.

Besides the theatre industry itself, also affected by the strike will be numerous ancillary groups which depend on Broadway for economic stability, for example local hotels, restaurants and bars, ticket brokers, laundry services (which take care of the various shows’ costumes), and tour groups.

“We’re saddened by the decision of Local One stagehands union to hold this unnecessary strike,” Charlotte St Martin, executive director of the League, said at a press conference on November 10. “It’s fitting, however, that the first show they walked out on was How the Grinch Stole Christmas - because today, the union showed it is willing to take away the magic of Broadway from children and adults, New Yorkers and visitors, who had been looking forward to a wonderful holiday time experience at the theatre.

“Fighting to preserve the featherbedding concept that stagehands should be paid for not working is more important to them than preserving the holiday season for millions of theatergoers.”

An earlier statement had Martin noting, “Local One has darkened most of Broadway. They have chosen to strike, without notifying us, rather than to continue negotiating. It’s a sad day for Broadway, but we must remain committed to achieving a fair contract. Our goal is simple - to pay for workers we need and for work that is actually performed. Stagehands are highly skilled and highly paid. They are, and will remain, the highest paid stagehands in the theatrical world. We deplore the strike and the harm it does to the city, the industry, and the theatre-going public. Indeed, to all talented people who make Broadway the top tourist attraction in New York.

“A strike will have an economic impact of $17million per day in direct and indirect costs. This could have been avoided had the union’s leadership chosen to act responsibly at the bargaining table. We extend our sympathy for the inconvenience caused to the theatre-going public, and assure everyone who has purchased tickets that they will get an exchange or refund.”

The league also released information about which Broadway shows were and were not affected by the strike and how ticket holders could obtain refunds for tickets purchased to shows in the latter category.

A letter posted on the IATSE website earlier this week noted: “[The league’s] press release celebrated an offer of 16.5% increase in wages. But the producers failed to mention their offer was accompanied by a 38% cut in jobs and income.”

Martin’s statement was only one of many announcement sent out over the weekend. Various theatre organisations were quick to put out releases announcing that off-Broadway was still open, while press agents were asking critics to check out the various shows still running.

US Actors’ Equity also released a statement saying, “Actors’ Equity Association strongly supports Local One/IATSE in their efforts to reach a fair and equitable contract. The responsibility for the shutdown of Broadway rests squarely with the League of American Theaters and Producers. The Equity Council, per the union’s Broadway contract language, endorses and supports the strike, which has been sanctioned by Local One’s IATSE international president, and directs its members to honour the picket line. The men and women of Local One/IATSE deserve fair wages and working conditions and, most importantly, the respect of everyone who is part of the theatrical community.

“As per Equity’s contract, we are instructing our members to report to their theatres and sign in for work. Equity staff will be at each affected theatre to offer the latest information and help to our members. We are also encouraging our members to join the informational line at each theatre to show solidarity with our Local One brothers and sisters.”

The strike, the first in Local One’s 121-year history, was specifically timed to happen during the start of the holiday season (the union has been working without a contract since July). While the league would like to have the matter resolved quickly, before the start of the Thanksgiving weekend, traditionally the busiest time on Broadway, no new talks have been scheduled and both sides are holding fast in their demands.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has repeatedly offered the city’s services as a mediator to help end the strike (as it did with the Broadway musicians’ strike in 2003), but as the matter is essentially a private labour dispute, there is the little the city can do unless asked by both the league and Local One to step in. The union has so far declined the request.