Do the League's Figures Add Up?

No. They don't add up. Of course they don't. They've even admitted it themselves now. This is from Bloomberg on the 21st:

" Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the producers' league, issued a statement on Nov. 10 that the strike ``will have an economic impact of $17 million per day in direct and indirect costs.'

True Impact

That figure, widely reported, is overstated, according to the league's own research director, Karen Hauser. The true economic impact is closer to $8 million, she said.

Broadway's contribution to New York is $5.3 billion, she explained, citing a league study. Divide that by 313 days -- most shows are dark one day a week -- and you get about $17 million for Broadway's economic contribution.

``If the strike went on long enough and Broadway moved to New Jersey,' then $17 million per day would apply.

Eight Broadway shows remain running and ``Wicked' hasn't yet moved to Newark. Hauser said her $8 million estimate of losses is based on weekly production expenses for canceled performances and income that hotels, taxis and restaurants lose after theater-loving tourists abort or shorten trips. "

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aZ4vsF85GB88&refer=home

The NYC comptroller has estimated the daily cost as being somewhere around $2 million, if the strike lasts less than 6 weeks.

Updated On: 11/23/07 at 11:07 AM

JustAGuy, nobodies figures add up. You guys aren't making the $160k they're claiming you are or you'd be taking town cars home after work and you aren't making the $65k minimums listed on this board or they wouldn't have asked for concessions.

While I admire your taking the time on this board to get the Local One viewpoint out there, rhetoric and cherry-picking of facts from both sides is what got all of us into this mess. I wonder if more gasoline on the fire is what is called for at this time.

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I don't think actors are immune to concessions and for the record, I am in full support of stagehands getting raises to their minimums. You guys keep everyone safe and you should be compensated for doing a great job. I am also in support of the notion that work calls are for the run of the show and not until 11pm.

If they ever tried to break IATSE, 801, or AEA, all of us would refuse to work so that their only choice was to back down or put up a Troika version of Wicked on Broadway starring a girl fresh out of Sommerset Community College (who would no doubt be out of the show in a week when an inexperienced non-union stagehand dropped a house set piece on her head bringing the irony full circle).

The only thing that has kept me from being 100% behind the stagehands is notion of getting paid for work not done. I don't want to reopen a can of worms because it's been discusses to death from both sides on multiple threads with very few actual numbers, but both sides do have valid points.

As for AEA negotiations, the AEA production contract leaves very little room for overtime so the costs are pretty clear cut to producers, actors, and the general public. It would be a very different battle in the press as producers would basically be saying "we feel actors are overpaid and should take a pay cut." I don't think it would go over very well in the public eye. With the stagehand negotiation, there are so many rules that affect how much you guys actually make and all they've had to do was to point out (even if it was just ONE guy) someone who is getting paid when there is very little for him to do and it paints a picture in the public of unions abusing their power. I'm not saying that is right, I'm just saying that this negotiation is much more complicated than Equity's negotiation.

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"JustAGuy, nobodies figures add up. You guys aren't making the $160k they're claiming you are or you'd be taking town cars home after work and you aren't making the $65k minimums listed on this board or they wouldn't have asked for concessions."

Brian, FYI I'm not a member of Local One. But, I do have strong feelings about supporting the Union since I am a member of a theatrical union, and my contract comes up next.

As to the figures I posted, I was just curious if anyone knew how they actually broke down, since I thought it was a bit misleading for the League to say the strike was costing $17 million a day, without actually stating what the cost were and who was accruing them. That's why it was posed as a question so as not to fan the flames. Bugmenot's post clarified some, but not all.

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"How much would that be?"

DoranC, I don't have exact figures but here's a link to a break down of Running Cost from 2002. Which might be helpful to you. Courtesy of the NYTIMES.





NY TIMES

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Where did the Gerry Schoenfeld info come from? Is that factual??