Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
On Broadway, the show goes on as producers, union avert looming strike
By
Steve Smith
Published Jul 20, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
4kclips/Shutterstock
By
Steve Smith
Published Jul 20, 2023
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
The Broadway League and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees say a tentative agreement has been reached among the two parties and Disney Theatrical, averting a strike that IATSE members were in the process of voting to authorize.
The agreement, which was announced today in a succinct statement circulated by IATSE and The Broadway League, still requires ratification.
“The respective parties will inform their members of the details of this agreement in the coming days,” the joint media statement said.
Representatives for The Broadway League and IATSE declined to discuss specifics of the agreement prior to ratification.
The accord follows IATSE announcing yesterday that it was voting to authorize a strike, after negotiations stalled with The Broadway League – the national trade organization of theater owners, producers, presenters and vendors – and Disney Theatrical.
Those negotiations involved stagehands, hair and makeup artists, and wardrobe personnel who work under the terms of a “pink contract.” Such professionals are employed directly by productions, often coming to New York with shows that started elsewhere. They work alongside local stagehands employed by theaters, who are covered by IATSE Local One.
The professionals covered by the “pink contract” work on 45 theatrical shows, including 28 productions on Broadway and 17 on tour. Had a strike been authorized, Broadway might not have ground to an immediate standstill, but the impact of striking workers almost certainly would have disrupted business quickly.
The threat of a theater strike came at a time when Hollywood is reeling from the impact of concurrent strikes by two unions, the Writers Guild of America and Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, or SAG-AFTRA.
New York Public Radio has a collective bargaining agreement with SAG-AFTRA. However, our staff belongs to a different branch from the actors and writers, and is not involved in either strike.
Tagged
manhattan
theater
Steve Smith
Steve Smith is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .