Q&A: The Backstage Story on the Broadway Strike

[billynj]

Posted: 11/15/07 at 9:27pm

Q&A: The Backstage Story on the Broadway Strike

by Jeff Lunden



NPR.org, November 14, 2007 · Broadway's marquees went dark Nov. 10, when stagehands went on strike after months of bitter contract negotiations with theater owners and producers. The walkout shut down 27 Broadway shows, from the long-running Les Miserables to the still-in-previews The Farnsworth Invention.

And though the parties hope to settle the strike by Thanksgiving — a new round of talks is scheduled for this weekend — there's no guarantee the pickets will come down anytime soon. Here's a primer about why the show's not going on.

Who's striking? Against whom?

Broadway's stagehands, represented by Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, are the backstage workers who install, operate and maintain the sets, lights and props for Broadway shows. At any given time, approximately 350 to 500 members are employed on Broadway. The union has been in existence for 121 years; this is the first time it has struck on Broadway.

On the other side is the League of American Theatres and Producers, a trade organization for the industry. Its 600 members include theater owners, producers and presenters across North America.

What's the dispute about?

The union has been working without a contract since July 31 and labor negotiations have broken off more than once. At issue: a set of decades-old work rules determining how many people are needed for backstage crews, for loading and unloading sets, and for extra functions like rehearsal calls.

The producers claim the union has successfully institutionalized "featherbedding" — in other words, that the work rules force producers to pay for stagehands who aren't needed or pay hours of overtime for small, easily performed tasks. According to the producers, the current average salary for a stagehand is $150,000.

Local One counters that the producers — who are coming off a record-breaking $939 million season at the box office — have made an offer that would mean a 38 percent cut in jobs and salaries. It would also compromise safety backstage, the stagehands argue. They say they're willing to make changes in the union rulebook if the producers offer an equal exchange.

The union disputes the producers' salary figures, saying the average is $67,000 annually. And they argue that work rules are necessary in an unpredictable industry: While some stagehands work for years in long-running shows, many work only for weeks or months in shows that flop. It's here that both sides agree — according to the league, only one out of every five shows that opens on Broadway goes on to turn a profit.

Why did the stagehands walk out?

In mid-October, the producers implemented new work rules in its Broadway theaters without the union's consent. A week later, the local voted to authorize a strike. The president of the international, Thomas C. Short, sat down at the negotiating table with producers in early November. When those talks reached an impasse, he directed the union to set up picket lines on Nov. 10. All the members of Broadway's other trade unions — actors, musicians, box-office personnel, ushers and press agents among them — have honored the picket lines.

Are all Broadway shows affected by the strike?

No. Twenty-seven shows have been shuttered by the strike, but eight continue to perform: Cymbeline, Mary Poppins, Mauritius, Pygmalion, The Ritz, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Xanadu and Young Frankenstein. These shows perform in theaters that operate under different contracts with Local One.

In addition, off-Broadway and off-off Broadway shows continue to perform. The industry publication Playbill recently published one list of what's still running and what's gone dark.

I bought tickets to a Broadway show that isn't playing because of the strike. How can I get a refund or exchange my tickets?

If you purchased your tickets with a credit card, your card will automatically be credited. If you purchased tickets with cash, you will have to write requesting a refund — the box offices are closed, remember. For further details, check the producers' official Web site.

[bugmenot]

Posted: 11/15/07 at 9:57pm

This is a good article. Let me just add something: tonight after talking to some tourists I realized a lot of people misunderstand something pretty basic about our employment situation. There is no job security for the majority of the stagehands.

When the show closes, we are out of luck. Many of us have a sort of loose "allegiance" to one theatre or another, so we hope (and pray) that another show comes into that theatre ASAP, so that we MIGHT have a job there again. But the whole "annual salary" thing is really a red herring. For many of us, we get a call to come work a load-in on a show at X theatre. Then as the load-in is winding down, they start talking about how many guys they need on the show crew, and if you are really lucky, you get asked to be one of those guys, and you get to be there for the whole run of the show (which as we all know, can be pretty darn short, if you're on a dog of a show).

We have a lot of limited runs this season. Let's say I'm working on Cyrano (I'm not). I might get 3 weeks of work loading the show in and teching it, 10 weeks of run, and about a half a week taking the show out. That adds up to less than a third of a year.

And then when that show's over I have to hope there might be a slot for me on the next show that comes in there, rumored to be "in the heights". But there might not be a slot. Or that show might not even come in. In the meantime, I have to beat the bushes and try to pick up work here and there as best I can.

None of us have a guaranteed 52-week salary. Even the guys on Phantom, who have been there 20 years, could find out on any given Tuesday that their show is done that Sunday, and they'll be out in the street after the load-out.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 11/15/07 at 10:22pm

Since, most of the Strike Threads are winding down, I've hesitated to post this. But, I think it's an interesting read, and illustrates the costs of running a production on a day to day basis.

It's from an article that was in the NYTIMES shortly after Mamma Mia opened. Breaking down what a $100 dollar ticket (which I believe was the top price at the time) actually pays for.

Keep in mind these are weekly running costs. And not the costs of the load-in, load-out, sets and costumes, advance publicity, etc. Those are amortized over the run of the show, and once they have been paid for out of the weekly profits, that's when the productions actually start to make money. Also, the costs have changed from 5 years ago, but probably not so much as to skew the figures too much.

By Jesse McKinley
May 19, 2002

It is an age-old question for Broadway ticket buyers: Where, oh where, does all that money go? It's not pure profit. From stars' salaries to chorus members' high heels, Broadway shows have quite an overhead. The running cost of an average Broadway musical ranges from $300,000 to $500,000 a week.

'Mamma Mia!,' the hit show at the 1,500-seat Winter Garden, created around two dozen Abba songs, is no exception. Here's a look at what a $100 orchestra seat pays for. JESSE McKINLEY

$1.25 THEATER FACILITY FEE
The fee, charged by the Shubert Organization (the owner of the Winter Garden), goes toward the maintenance and upkeep of the 91-year-old theater, which, some might argue, is like a restaurant charging extra because it has to repaint the walls. The Shuberts aren't alone; their rivals, Jujamcyn, also tack on a fee. The other major Broadway theater owner, the Nederlander Organization, does not.

$11.20 ADVERTISING/ MARKETING

$5.30 SALARIES (CAST)
'Mamma Mia!' has a cast of 35. The actors, all members of the Actors' Equity union, earn at least the Equity Broadway contract base pay -- $1,252 a week. Actors in major roles earn more, and stars like Nathan Lane can make more than $50,000 a week.

$6.90 SALARIES (CREW)
Unionized stagehands are one of the bigger expenses of any show. Base pay for a crew chief is $1,375, before benefits. 'Mamma Mia!' has a backstage crew of 35.

$2.00 SALARIES (MUSICIANS)
The nine orchestra members, who belong to Local 802, receive a base pay of $1,280 a week.

$1.40 SALARIES (OTHER)
Press agents, who are also unionized, receive a base pay of $1,714 a week. Other expenses: payments to ushers, box-office personnel and security.

$4.10 BOX-OFFICE COMMISSIONS
Paid to group sales and theater party ticket brokers.

$4.50 THEATER UTILITIES AND MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES

$1.00 INSURANCE/ ACCOUNTING
All Broadway productions carry insurance -- for canceled shows (as happened on Sept. 11), as well as basic liability -- which averages about $2,500 a week.

$6.70 THEATER RENT
A Broadway house costs about $15,000 per week, plus 5 to 6 percent of the show's gross sales.

$4.10 RENTALS
Most shows rent their lighting and sound equipment.

$9.90 UNION BENEFITS/ PAYROLL TAXES

$1.20 UPKEEP OF COSTUMES

$15.70 ROYALTIES
Every member of the creative team receives royalties. (As if the satisfaction of a job well done weren't enough.)

$24.75 RETURN OF CAPITAL TO PRODUCERS
What it's all about on Broadway: making money. About a quarter of the $100 goes back to the people who made the show possible. No, not the actors, or the director, or the writers: the investors.



Original Times Article

Updated On: 11/16/07 at 10:22 PM

[lusciouslace]

Posted: 11/16/07 at 12:23am

I actually want to thank all of you who have posted on this thread. I've learned a lot. I was especially interested in the breakdown of the ticket prices.

Thanks!

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 11/16/07 at 10:13am

The more correct information that people have, the better off they are in drawing their own conclusions. It's a shame, that when both sides seek to fight things out in the press, that they don't or won't offer truly concise reasons for their disagreements. But instead offer excuses like "it's too complex" or you "wouldn't understand."

[bugmenot]

Posted: 11/16/07 at 10:45am

Sometimes it really is too hard to explain concisely, especially if you have to do it live, on your feet. I have the advantage of being able to take as much time as I need to before I hit "post", and go back and revise an answer if I screw up.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 11/16/07 at 11:00am

I realize that bugmenot, trying to explain contractual issues is always difficult. But, as a for instance, there was a recent informational meeting that was held at Equity where Local One's president was asked some specific questions as to the whys and whats of the negotiations. And for many of those questions he was only able to answer with, "you wouldn't understand." Which for a number of members, was pretty insulting, considering that they have been a part of the business, even longer than he, and have been working side by side with the Local One members for a number of years. I would expect that the President of the Local would be able to clarify, if not fully explain the Unions position, no matter what the question. When you come to another Union asking for support, "you wouldn't understand" is not the type of answers you should be giving.

Updated On: 11/16/07 at 11:00 AM