BROADWAY CANCELLED THROUGH 25 NOVEMBER- Page 4

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:17am

True, it does give people a chance to re-arrange things, and I am sure those ticket holders are at least grateful for the notice.
But we also have to look at this as a flexing of the Leagues muscles. They walked away from the negotiating table at 9 pm the night before Thanksgiving week in the face of a crippling strike, not only for them but for the entire theater district and beyond.(I am selfishly concerned about my perennially insolvent Equity health insurance that is pretty much bankrolled by the production contract)
The league, IATSE, and everyone who reads this board knows that this is the biggest week of the season. Walking away the night before is the ultimate statement of "Bring it on, we can take it".
They have at least 20 million in the bank.

This is a Pi$$ing contest, pure and simple.
And it seems like it is going to get worse before it gets better.

[broadwayman17]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:23am

I hoped to get to see Cyrano or The Homecoming, but since the strikes lasting this long, I doubt I'll get the chance to see them.

[fengshuihellnyc]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:33am

The blame here is not with the Producers... Its with the Union. The union is going to have to cave.... Money rules in this world. The truth is the producers have 20 million and the union only 4. This is not going to last for the union. As soon as the 4 million is gone they will cave. The union has caused thousands if not millions of people pain and anguish with their unrealistic demands. PERIOD.... THERE IS NO DISCUSSION. YOU DO NOT GET PAID FOR WORK YOU DON"T DO. How hard is that to Fu@king figure out. ANY IDIOT knows this. I love how people try to justify the pay with out work issue and it just makes them sound so stupid. You cannot compare actors or swings to the union rules.. they are two different things.
Truthfully I think ticket holders should sue the union for their trips to new york if they are traveling from somewhere else. If your vacation is to come here to see shows you should sue the Union. You are loosing the money to come here, the purpose of coming here.
From what I hear the actors union though verbally showing support for the stagehands has not shown a Physical presence of support to the stagehands. The actors know that this is rediculous and that it is hopeless. The actors union also knows that when the actors union contracts are up next year the stagehands will nowhere be seen.
I also feel that its Ironic that the stagehands outside the grinch, cyrano, and all short term shows... will be loosing their jobs. They aren't going to have a job after this. Basically if you went on strike you knew that you were quitting your job. Thats Pathetic!!!! The limited run shows producers should also sue the union as to purposely screwing them out of their business.
The Stagehands Union has completely lost all respect from I think everyone. The public, the actors, and even the producers. The next time I see I stagehand I will not look at them the same. Who am I kidding since this started and walking around times square I've wanted to smack some sense into them.
SAD, PATHETIC, LOOSERS IN THE END and ALWAYS WILL BE!!!

[don logan]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:33am

Man. This SUCKS. I'm gonna have to dip into my savings. Anyone need a drummer? Anyone? Hello?

[popular_elphie]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:35am

According to that press release, it sounds as if Local One made a compromise and the League said it still wasn't enough.

I just want this to end already. I'm scared this is going to close a few shows that I love but are struggling. And I feel bad for John Lloyd Young who won't get to properly end his three years in JERSEY BOYS with a last performance this Wednesday.

[Becky]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:35am

This is a random thought, but I started thinking about the people that paid scalper prices to shows this holiday weekend who will not be receiving a refund. Ouch.

I also wonder if the scalper sites are continuing to sell tickets to unsuspecting tourists who may not be fully informed, etc.....

[fengshuihellnyc]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:36am

OH ALSO... Its not the producers who should give BCEFA the Money that they are loosing... ITS THE UNION. They are the selfish, Self important, Replacable idiots that are causing sick people not to get HELP. At this point the damage is done and BCEFA will suffer the consequences. PITTIFUL.
My heart goes out to BCEFA. I will be Donating More than i probably can this year out of respect for them.
Updated On: 11/19/07 at 01:36 AM

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:38am

He's been it Jersey Boys for two years.

[bugmenot]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:41am

> According to that press release, it sounds as if Local One
> made a compromise and the League said it still wasn't enough.

From what I have been hearing this evening, this is correct. The union made many, many concessions (to the point that they weren't sure it could be sold to the rank and file for ratification). And still the League walked away from the table and left the building. And THEN canceled the week's performances, rather than seeking a return to the table.

[EugLoven]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:41am

The last statement from Local One states it was The League who walked out of negotiations and called the next week off.

Frankly, it sounds like a school-yard fight. Jimmy gets to play in the sandbox and I don't want him to! Sally took my lunch money!

I'm furious at what kind of image of Broadway and New York this is giving to out-of-towners.

I'm furious that hard-working employees, from the actors to the ushers to the merchandise-sellers to the crew to the investors to the valet-car parkers to the restaurant owners are feeling in their lack of paychecks.

And sure. My sympathies for The Grinch

But what about the shows that most likely will close before ever opening? The Homecoming?
The Seafarer? (another flash in the pan for the hard-working and committed National Theatre)
August: Osage County (those poor transplanted Chicagoans!)
Is He Dead?

These are plays that depend on word-of-mouth above anything else. Plays are hard sells and look at their houses now!

This is ridiculous and SELFISH!

[Neverandy]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:45am

The League has been warning them that there would be a lock out so there has been some preparation made for a work stoppage
Plus, there are still some bullets in the gun for IATSE. The rest of Local one can strike in solidarity. Also, in an extreme case, the other Locals around the country can strike the Tours, and a major source of revenue will be cut off.
I may be wrong, but I wouldn't count labor out just yet.

[bugmenot]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:48am

In case people don't know this already, local one is making payments to the other affected unions to help cover their members' lost wages. When they did a press conference right after the strike started, the local one president challenged the theatre owners to match those payments. If they have, I haven't heard about it.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:53am

Seriously, can we quit it with the uninformed speculation? Yes, the Seafarer is an issue financialy because it's already up and running and there's money going into keeping British actors here. But as far as The Homecoming, why would it not open? All of this money has already been invested, and if they never open, then they have no chance of making ANY of it back. Why would they not want to try? Why give up before they try? (Thanks to Margo for clearing that up for me.)

Updated On: 11/19/07 at 01:53 AM

[leko2]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 1:59am

fengshuihellnyc: since you are apparently all knowing, please list for me, and everyone else here, what exactly were the demands of the league at this weekends negotiations sessions and the counter by local one?

a lawsuit against IATSE by patrons would be stupid. if you don't see a show because it's canceled you get a refund. yes it sucks that you drove 200 miles to some a show, but you took a gamble with live theater where sadly anyone who works in this industry knows that the show doesn't always go on.

as for this "the stagehands won't be there for anyone else" crap, it's crap. anyone who knows anything about unions is that you stand in solidarity regardless of what happens. hence why, if my memory serves me correctly, local one supported 802 when they were not even authorized to do so. and an action like this is definatley about the short term. it's about the long term, which is why the stagehands are walking outside of limmited engagement shows.

If the league actually cared about the money that the shows aren't earning they would be at tbe table right now trying to resolve this issue instead of saying that talks wouldn't resume for a week.

And lastly I just want to point out that, TPU Local One, and all of IATSE for that fact, have broken no laws. They are exercising their legal right to exercise a strike action due to unfair labor practices.
Updated On: 11/19/07 at 01:59 AM

[Dover]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:01am

At this point I don't care who's at fault, they just need to get it settled. But I find it pretty clear cut who's being stubborn:

The stagehands were basically asking to maintain the status quo, and reportedly made concessions on several points commonly thought to be excessive.

The League came into negotiations this year with the intention of completely changing the way the contract works -- a contract they or their predecessors approved for the last 122 years or so -- and won't settle for less than everything they want. They could have come away with some of the most financially wasteful rules revised, and in four years or whatever could have a chance to reduce their costs further in the next round of negotiations.

I don't see how any union could accept an offer requiring such sweeping losses all at once. It's just too radical a change from the way things were two weeks ago, it has nothing to do with whether the rules were a good idea in the first place. I think fundamentally that's the lack of respect that Local 1 was talking about -- the League is not negotiating, they're just saying "here's a completely unreasonable offer: accept it or else!"

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:04am

I don't care what side of this debate one is on, but the rational comments are much preferred over the ridiculous, hysterical ones, usually filled with flat out lies.

[BrianS]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:34am

I was hoping for a resolution after a week-long strike, but this is just going to get bloodier. The producers see this as their big chance to take back a lot of ground they feel they gave up too easily over the last 10 years. Their $20 million has to cover show costs, not rent. They are not worried about losing the holiday weekend. They actually need this strike to last a while now because they need Local One's money to run out to the point where the members are having trouble paying rent. While I agree with some of the changes they are trying to make, I really wish they weren't trying to do it all at once since that seems to be a major point of resistance.

I've tried to be positive about the negotiations, but this is just bad for all of us and it's just going to get a lot worse.

[fengshuihellnyc]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:30am

I'd expect jrb_actor to make such a comment since he was the stage door guy at grey gardens.

[fengshuihellnyc]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:33am

Unions are just some of the reasons in this country that prices are rising on various things and the reason why i'm sure many of our products in america are being forced to be made in LEAD poisoning China.

[fengshuihellnyc]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 3:43am

I'm soooo bored by the continued poster that states that just because someones view and beliefs are different that they are uneducated. Basically if I don't agree I'm uneducated and wrong. I'm fully educated and have a business background along with a theatre background. You realistically are probably just a union member and post here to try to make people feel for you. I hope that the producers starve you. Meanwhile I will go see xanadu and youngfrankenstein and the ritz.
I'm not letting your strike affect me other than pissing me off and feeling horrible for everyone but the stagehands union. There have been times when the Producers have been wrong but this is not one of them. Go Producers... FULL STEAM AHEAD. You cannot blame someone to try and make a buck. They aren't trying to be unreasonable, they just want to instill some reason into a group that has none. I say this so called union is more and more MOB BOSS like day by day.
For entertainment purposes I hope the FBI starts investigating them. LOL

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 4:31am

Yes, because you sound like such a professional...

And FYI, I'm not in Local 1, so I've no clue what point you thought you were making. I could be on either side of this couldn't I? Or neutral. Or see both sides. Or in doubt.

But what I will be is rational, mature, and understanding of the realities in all of this and not some hysterical, shrieking harpie. And that has nothing to do with your stance in this debate and everything to do with your tone and rationality.

[Bwayfan4]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 5:03am

This is horrible news to wake up to! Yuck!

EugLoven, I agree with you. It sounds like both sides are a bunch of brats who refused to realize that BOTH sides are going to have to compromise!

So annoying...

I feel bad for all of the workers involved here...

The sad part is...I'm getting to the point where I don't CARE if I ever reschedule the shows I had tickets for...I'm so irritated with BOTH sides for not acting like adults...

[allofmylife]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 5:27am

This is all just so sad. As a member of the WGA, I can justify our strike action by saying that it really isn't hurting the public that much (there's always reruns, cable, and hey, read a book) after all, we're saving you from extra episodes of "Flash Gordon." Sure, the grips and costumers and assistants are losing money but at least we aren't peeing on the public. Yet.

THIS strike, however is directly ruining so many people's holiday plans. The thousands of people who booked tickets and now have their trips to New York ruined, the kids who wanted to see shows during Thanksgiving. This strike is harming the public. And that's a very bad thing for any entertainment union and producers to do.

They should gt back to the table immediately.

Posted: 11/19/07 at 5:38am

I'm sorry to be naive about this whole thing, but could someone do me a favor and briefly explain to me what it is that the stagehands want, and why the producers won't give it to them? What do you mean "paid for doing nothing?"

And also, could someone please explain to me who, if anyone, is still getting paid a paycheck during all this? Do the actors get a paycheck whether or not their show is playing? This is a totally different example, but I work at Disneyland and we still get paid if they have to cancel the parade or show for rain or something out of our control, because we came to work. And what is the $20 million / $4 million going towards? Paying mini paychecks to workers?

Thanks!

[NJluvstheatre]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 6:23am

fengshuihellnyc, I agree with you... I have several friends who are currently performing on Broadway. Funny, not one of them has a nice thing to say about the Stagehands or their Union. Yes, Equity is "supporting" them on the outside. They have to, basically. But, behind the scenes they are not. From what my friends are telling me, most actors are not. Marc Shaiman didn't have a nice thing to say about them in the Sunday Star Ledger.

I'm glad the producers are standing their ground. It's time that these archaic rules change. Oh, sure.. Local One wanted to make concessions and go back to the old contract.. WRONG! It's time to face the facts. They have had this cushy contract and rules for far too long. No work, no pay! That's it...

Once again, this just proves that it maybe time to do away with these Unions. A Union free Broadway maybe in site...