Chances of a Strike?

[macbeth]

Posted: 9/22/25 at 2:17pm

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Over-1300-Equity-Members-Send-Letter-to-The-Broadway-League-20250915

Looks like 6 days till the current agreement expires? Should we be worried? 

[goodtimes123]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 7:57am

macbeth said: "https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Over-1300-Equity-Members-Send-Letter-to-The-Broadway-League-20250915

Looks like 6 days till the current agreement expires? Should we be worried?"

What’s the likelihood of this happening? And if there is a strike, would shows go dark next week? 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 8:21am

They can keep working on an expired agreement. A strike authorization vote would be the last step and I’m sure would like to be avoided by all sides.

I’m sympathetic to the actors and SMs wanting more money and better terms, but the numbers are the numbers and increasing running costs means even fewer people will have jobs.

[KKeller6]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:14am

Salaries mean little in terms of success to a successful show.  This is more ridiculousness by the people in charge.  There were 77 productions this season.  If every time a restaurant falls, should we discuss lowering their salaries? We can play this game for every single business in every single sector.  Some businesses fail, some succeed. If you cant succeed paying decent wages across the board, you fail.  And you should fail. It's really that simple.

 I choose to focus on the shows that are billion dollar enterprises. I choose to focus on the shows running for years that have made money. Don't buy this " recoupment" crap.  It's all a shell game.  

 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 9:51am

I wholeheartedly agree that long-running shows should have higher pay rates and new ones should be lowered — or better yet, wages should be on a sliding scale dictated by the gross, the gross potential, recoupment status, and the capitalization. In the same way that you can’t compare a startup clothing shop’s finances to Macys; they are not on the same playing field.

Billion-dollar properties are the exception, not the norm, on Broadway. About 10 shows in the entire history of Broadway. If Equity is basing its negotiation on those rare properties, they are missing the point.

Updated On: 9/23/25 at 09:51 AM

[BJR]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 11:51am

KKeller6 said: "Some businesses fail, some succeed. If you cant succeed paying decent wages across the board, you fail. And you should fail. It's really that simple."

I'd waager this is not the take of someone who has had to keep a business open before.

[Observation]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 11:54am

BJR said: "KKeller6 said: "Some businesses fail, some succeed. If you cant succeed paying decent wages across the board, you fail. And you should fail. It's really that simple."

I'd waager this is notthe take of someone who has had to keep a business open before."

If there is a strike, QoV should use that as an out and never open that production. 

[KKeller6]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 12:06pm

I think the idea is they can pay for a lot of misses and vanity projects. But you can't base pay on anything like that. I'm not suggesting that.  I'm saying you have to look at the overall picture. And if you do, you realize there's plenty of money to spend on labor.  And whatever else you need. 

Updated On: 9/23/25 at 12:06 PM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 1:05pm

The overall picture of what? It doesn’t seem that you have ant idea of how this industry functions.

A new show has one meaningful income stream: ticket sales. Each show is a startup. We saw at least 18 shows close early or close without turning a profit last season because they could not sell enough tickets.

A significant distribution of wealth happens on any show that requires a Priority Loan or other infusion of cash to keep it going (case in point: ATG keeping CABARET running in many unprofitable weeks). More often than not, the entity putting up the money to keep an unprofitable show running will never see a cent back. (That’s not saying these investors are altruistic — this is a business.)

It’s fine to believe that the financing and revenue model needs to change, but that is not applicable to a conversation about union minimums.

Updated On: 9/23/25 at 01:05 PM

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 1:17pm

Observation said: "BJR said: "KKeller6 said: "Some businesses fail, some succeed. If you cant succeed paying decent wages across the board, you fail. And you should fail. It's really that simple."

I'd waager this is notthe take of someone who has had to keep a business open before."

If there is a strike, QoV should use that as an out and never open that production."

Two Strangers may consider this, as well.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 1:23pm

KKeller6 said: "Salaries mean little in terms of success to a successful show. This is more ridiculousness by the people in charge. There were 77 productions this season. If every time a restaurant falls, should we discuss lowering their salaries? We can play this game for every single business in every single sector. Some businesses fail, some succeed. If you cant succeed paying decent wages across the board, you fail. And you should fail. It's really that simple.

I choose to focus on the shows that are billion dollar enterprises. I choose to focus on the shows running for years that have made money. Don't buy this " recoupment" crap. It's all a shell game.

 

Wha?? 

Do you honestly believe that "lowering salaries" is on the table -- by either side?? Also, contracts are negotiated and signed BEFORE the show starts performances -- so I have no idea why you're bringing "recoupment" (which is a REAL thing) into the equation?

 

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/23/25 at 1:25pm

Observation said: "BJR said: "KKeller6 said: "Some businesses fail, some succeed. If you cant succeed paying decent wages across the board, you fail. And you should fail. It's really that simple."

I'd waager this is notthe take of someone who has had to keep a business open before."

If there is a strike, QoV should use that as an out and never open that production."

 

Contracts (and Collective Bargaining Agreements) don't work like that.

 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 8:04am

salaries aren't getting lowered when the cost of living is skyrocketing.

Updated On: 10/1/25 at 08:04 AM

[carlisle14]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 9:26am

Predicting some very dark times ahead on Broadway.  The downturn is well underway already, and things aren't getting better anytime soon.  

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 9:35am

Can’t even imagine how many shows would close — and more that would never open — if a strike happened in the next month. 

[Kad]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 9:45am

From what has been reported and AEA has been saying online, salaries don’t seem to be a central demand in these negotiations- scheduling, adequate staffing coverage, and health care are. 

[EDSOSLO858]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 9:54am

Broadway strikes through the years have not been that long compared to Hollywood, as higher-ups cannot take a hit for a significant period of time. Would this be any different?

Again, I doubt many people would notice a work stoppage, unless they happen to have tickets for at least one of the affected shows in the coming weeks. 

 

 

Updated On: 10/1/25 at 09:54 AM

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 10:01am

Am I understanding that re: coverage, AEA is basically saying it wants to end the practice of “split tracks”? Meaning a show needs to cancel if there aren’t the exact right number of people onstage on a given night? That part seems tricky…yes, split tracks have become abused sometimes, there are safety concerns if not done with care, and they’re a nightmare for directors and choreographers…but sometimes you have a deep bench of covers and sh*t happens and you STILL have to make due with compromise (a compromise that doesn’t put actors in harm’s way).

Theoretically, the healthcare matter and rehearsal scheduling matters should be non-issues that don’t make a huuuge dent in weekly running costs. But I don’t know the ins and outs of this negotiation.

[Kad]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 10:09am

EDSOSLO858 said: "Broadway strikes through the years have not been that long compared to Hollywood, as higher-ups cannot take a hit for a significant period of time. Would this be any different?

Again, I doubt many peoplewouldnotice a work stoppage, unless they happen to have tickets for at least one of the affected shows in the coming weeks.

"

A Production contract strike would effectively shut down the entirety of Broadway, save for programming from LCT, MTC, Second Stage, and Roundabout. People would notice. 

[KKeller6]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 10:16am

JSquared2 said: 
Wha??

Do you honestly believe that "lowering salaries" is on the table -- by either side?? Also, contracts are negotiated and signed BEFORE the show starts performances -- so I have no idea why you're bringing "recoupment" (which is a REAL thing) into the equation?

First off, poor raises in contract agreements,  I equate with lower salaries. 

Secondly, recoupment is a shell game.  It's a way for shows to appear not to make any money when they most certainly are.  

Again, I'm not claiming every show makes money. ( Sunset Boulevard certainly did). I'm claiming they cook the books. And I'm claiming they flood the market looking for that next big hit, knowing it's more than worth it. THEN, they can claim the Broadway model doesn't work. Did you see the latest grosses? Hamilton netted about$ 3M dollars this week. Netted. Profit.  $3M. This week alone.  Give me a break,  these producers. They are thieves. Hey, by the way, did the producers of Hamilton every give back the $50M they stole from the government during Covid? Money they got for keeping a small office open when in reality they did not continue paying the cast & crew? 

 

[Kad]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 10:28am

Very few shows can, or should, be compared to Hamilton (or Wicked, Lion King, Book of Mormon, Chicago). That type of hit is exceptionally rare. 

[KKeller6]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 10:55am

Absolutely.  I get that.  There are 5 other shows on Broadway running right now that have grossed over a billion dollars each worldwide.  

 And there are plenty others that are having good, successful runs.  It seems a bit more than coincidental that its contract time( the musicians are up as well as AE)  and and these stories are coming out. This is all most likely being done at the direction of the law firm Proskauer-Rose. The world's leading anti- labor law firm.  

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 10:58am

Kad, forgive my ignorance. Why would LCT et al not be affected by the strike? (I selfishly have a ticket to Ragtime on Oct 14 and am very much looking forward to it!)

[Kad]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 11:22am

iluvtheatertrash said: "Kad, forgive my ignorance. Why would LCT et al not be affected by the strike? (I selfishly have a ticket to Ragtime on Oct 14 and am very much looking forward to it!)"

LCT and the other nonprofits on Broadway that I mentioned don’t actually use the Production contract, at least not initially. Their productions operate under a modified LORT agreement to bring down their costs. If one of their productions extend or turn into an open-ended run (like LCT’s South Pacific or Roundabout’s Anything Goes), they then convert to the Production contract. 
 

No need to be forgiven for not knowing! It’s a rather unknown and unusual arrangement. 

Updated On: 10/1/25 at 11:22 AM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 10/1/25 at 11:35am

Thanks so much, Kad.

I am guessing that would mean Mamma Mia also would probably perform as they're on a touring contract, no?