Union will cave , theater owners have strike insurance

[billynj]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 11:47am

thats the real word.........thats the story for a reporter to chase down .....call a treasurer

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 11:57am

Yeah, somebody needs to call that psychic that's always on Montel to get to the bottom of this!

[markymatt]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 12:28pm

The union has a HUGE strike fund. Don't count them out, yet.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 12:29pm

What makes you think anyone will believe these source-less posts?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 12:33pm

The union's strike fund is reportedly $4 million and they have said some of that will be used to help out some of the other theatre employees besides the stagehands make it through the strike.

[bugmenot]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 2:43pm

last I heard it was more like 5.2 million, and if I remember correctly, it is automatically replenished via dues payments the members make (and don't forget, only about 10% of the stagehands union members are out of work due to the strike...the rest of the city is crazy busy)

I'm sad to hear the rumor that the theatre owners are going to lock out the workers at "Grinch", I was hoping there might be some sanity on their side of the table. Apparently not. Where's their compassion for the actors, musicians, ushers, cleaning staff, etc? Then again we're talking about Paul Libin, the living embodiment of Ebeneezer Scrooge.


Updated On: 11/19/07 at 02:43 PM

[leko2]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 6:03pm

Local One has has a strike fund which is funded by about 3,000 members. This strike is authorized by the International which also, has a strike fund funded by over 109,000 members. I don't see this being a big issue.

[billynj]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:08pm

enjoy the holiday striking

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:32pm

You must be a member of the League, because they were goading the Union reps during negotiations by throwing gloves on the table and telling them "it will be cold out there." Do all the League supporters not question the need for strike fund against a union that has NEVER gone on Strike before? And the fact that the fund was started YEARS before those negotiations?

[localonecrew]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:36pm

or how quickly they had their press release out last night and cancelled shows? they never planned to strike a deal this weekend and planned this week off long ago.

[tazber]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:37pm

If the union drags this out to the new year I doubt the league will even consider talking with them until April.
What incentive do they have to settle during the winter months?
Most shows run at a loss during that time anyway and it would be a blessing in disguise to not have to pay the operating costs.

[localonecrew]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:40pm

while that would totally suck, i am prepared to stand outside til april.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:40pm

"What incentive do they have to settle during the winter months?"

That $20 million won't last until April, especially if the companies who own the equipment in the theatres start demanding payments, which Margo has said the producers have not been paying (and where I speculated that they may have some type of deferment in such instances).

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:48pm

Yeah, if this were to last until April (which frankly the city, state, hotel and restaurant industry, the other major unions et al would never allow to happen), more than half of the current shows wouldn't re-open and Broadway would be almost entirely deserted.

Updated On: 11/19/07 at 07:48 PM

[cooperross]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 7:55pm

And the League can then force majeure all of those contracts with the theatre rental companies due to the strike.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 8:09pm

"And the League can then force majeure all of those contracts with the theatre rental companies due to the strike."

They can try but probably won't succeed. Their pronouncement of this war fund may be to their detriment. If the producers are receiving fixed cost payments from the League, then why arenn't they paying ALL their obligations? My guess is they have a clause to suspend payment in case of a work stoppage, but that in no way would exempt them from retroactive payment. The fact that the League has announced that they have $20 million saved would harm any argument they could have for not paying on the equipment.

[thetinymagic2]

Posted: 11/19/07 at 9:27pm

A shill for the League, presumedly.....

[dreamz]

Posted: 11/20/07 at 1:30am

localonecrew I think it would suck too if this lasted that long but but as a Local 32BJ member and Local 306 member I will be standing right besides you. I believe Local one is doing what they have to do. I don't like being out of work or freezing my ass off out on the picket line but if Local one lets them get away with this it will be down hill for all the smaller unions in the business.