Max & Laura from Grease / WireImage
The 19 day Broadway strike between the Local One IATSE Stagehands Union and the League of American Theaters and Producers has finally ended; bringing to a close the longest strike "the Broadway" has seen since the 25 day musician's strike in 1975.
The two parties made the announcement last night at around 10:30pm EST after three days of around the clock negotiations. Picket lines have come down and shows will be open tonight, Thursday November 29, 2007. For the first time in more than two weeks (finally) the lights of Broadway will be shining bright and the rialto will be back in business!
Charlotte St. Martin, the Executive Director of the League, announced the following: "We are pleased to announce that we have a tentative agreement with Local One of IATSE ending the Broadway strike, and we're happy about that. Performances for all shows will begin tomorrow night - once again, that's Thursday, Nov. 29. The agreement is a good compromise that serves our industry. What is most important is that Broadway's lights will once again be shining brightly with a diversity of productions that will delight all theatergoers during this holiday time. We look forward to celebrating the season and welcoming our talented stagehands and the theatergoing public back to Broadway."
Shortly after James J. Claffey Jr., the President of Local One, announced to the crowds outside the negotiations, "You represented yourselves, your families and your union proud."
Echoing many people's feelings Bruce Cohen, the Union spokesman said, "We're glad there's a deal, and everyone should go back to work and the public should go see a Broadway show."
The Union now has 10 days to ratify (or vote for) the new agreement. While they will not comment on the prospects of ratification; the Union seems confident that the membership will approve the new contract.
Mayor Bloomberg released the following statement: "Tonight's announcement of a tentative agreement between the Broadway stagehands and theater producers is great news not just for everyone who earns their living on or around Broadway, but for everyone who lives in, works in, or visits New York City."
The city has estimated that nearly 40 million dollars in revenue was lost during the 19 day strike while both sides negotiated new terms. While information of the exact details of the new contract are not available, the NY Times is reporting that the producers were able to get a daily minimum of 17 stagehands for a load-in and one more hour on the "continuity call". Previously the Union contract called for a minimum four hour work call for work that took more than one hour. The NY Times also states that the Union seems to have negotiated "yearly raises well above the 3.5 percent that the league had been offering."
There are several open issues at this point: Will all the shows get up and running by tonight? What will be the new opening night dates for shows forced to postpone -- Disney's The Little Mermaid, the Chicago transfer August: Osage County, Aaron Sorkin's The Farnsworth Invention, Conor Mcpherson's The Seafarer, and Is He Dead? starring Norbert Leo Butz. I am assuming that there will be more information and new dates released throughout today.
Well...after weeks of missed performances, thousands of disappointed theater goers, hundreds of out of work actors, musicians, ushers and wardrobe people, millions of dollars of lost revenue and one bizarre legal battle over The Grinch - it is hard to feel celebratory this morning. I am, indeed, happy that the strike is over, but I can't help feeling that this whole thing just...well...to be sort of crass...this whole thing sucked. I am glad it's done; now everyone can get back to enjoying "the Broadway".
~ See You On The Aisle
Reader Comments
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It's about time.
The strike is over and not a moment too soon - it never should have happened in the first place. I think it is a disgrace that the two sides could not come to an agreement prior to
shutting down so many shows during the peak holiday season which did no one any good,
not the actors, not the producers, not Broadway, not the city of New York, but most of all,
what about all those tourists from all over the world who come to NYC to experience a live
Broadway show - there's just nothing like it in the world - and thousands were inconvenienced,
disappointed, and had their plans spoiled by the intransigent parties on both sides of the
bargaining table. Shame on them for the strike but congrats on the resumption of live
theatre for one and all.
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