The Stage

Broadway faces strike threat from cleaning staff

Published Thursday 17 December 2009 at 15:16 by Judd Hollander

Broadway porters, cleaners and bathroom attendants are considering a strike, in a move which could hit New York theatre productions, as the workers push for improved pay deals.

The negotiating committee of the Service Employees International Union Local 32BJ, which represents porters, bathroom attendants and other cleaning personal at Broadway theatres, has been given the authority to call a strike, if current negotiations with the Broadway League fails to produce a new contract.

The present agreement between the union and the Broadway League, which represents most of the Broadway theatre owners, is set to expire on December 31 of this year.

The vote to strike was a unanimous one, with more than 200 members of the union participating, showing just how serious the workers are over the various contract issues, which include wage increases and matters concerning health and pension benefits.

According to the New York Times, which also reported the strike authorization vote, the last scheduled bargain session between the two sides is set for today, December 17.

What the overall effect of a strike on Broadway would be is uncertain at this point, as it would depend on whether any of the other Broadway unions decide to honor a union picket line, as Actors’ Equity did with a musicians’ strike in 2003.

The last Broadway strike - in 2007 by stagehands - shut down most of the Broadway venues for 18 days at the cost of millions of dollars.

“The Broadway League is in negotiations with 32BJ and we believe the negotiations are progressing well,” Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of The Broadway League, said in a statement. “We are confident that we will reach an agreement in a reasonable period of time and are moving forward. The strike authorization vote taken today is common practice for Trade Unions during negotiations. We are proud that many of our employees represented by the SEIU Local 32BJ have worked for Broadway for 10, 15, or even 25 years. Their longevity confirms that we are fair employers who care about the people who work for us on behalf of our industry.”