Broadway musicians have voted to authorize a strike amid negotiations with the Broadway League over a new contract.
Ninety-eight percent of union members voted to authorize a strike, according to results tallied Sunday. Holding a strike authorization vote does not necessarily mean a strike would be called, and it is a show of strength amid contract discussions, but it also comes as Actors’ Equity has already voted to authorize a strike amid negotiations with the League.
The musicians’ union continues to have talks with the Broadway League over a new contract this week and the possibility of bringing in a mediator is also being discussed.
A mediator has been called in for discussions with Actors’ Equity and the Broadway League, and the two parties scheduled an extra bargaining session with a mediator present for Oct. 17. The main sticking point for Actors’ Equity has been around healthcare contributions.
Musicians have been working without a contract since Aug. 31 and have also been lobbying for “stable” healthcare coverage, as well as wage gains and job security.
“On the heels of the most successful season in history, the Broadway League wants the working musicians and artists who fueled that very success to accept wage cuts, threats to healthcare benefits, and potential job losses. Faced with such an egregious erosion of their working conditions, Local 802 Broadway musicians and other artists are ready to leverage every ounce of their collective power, up to and including a strike. Committing to anything less would mean sacrificing far too many hard-won gains,” Local 802 President Bob Suttmann said in a statement.
If the two unions were to strike at the same time, the only current musical that could go on would be Ragtime at the Lincoln Center, as it’s not part of the contract at issue for either union. Among current shows, the nonprofit play Punch, as well as Little Bear Ridge Road, produced by Scott Rudin, who is not a member of the League, could also go on.
