Broadway Producers, Actors Reach Labor Agreement
Wary of reprising a crippling strike that shut down most Broadway shows last year, Broadway producers and Actors' Equity Association this morning announced a tentative 39-month labor agreement.
The theater agreement was disclosed in a joint statement by the actors' union and the Broadway League, representing producers and theater owners. It covers shows that play in New York and tour around America.
The agreement includes an 11.25% increase in overall compensation through September 2011, and gives producers more flexibility in publicity and promotion, according to a joint statement. Further details were not immediately available.
The contract terms must be approved by Equity's governing council and then by a vote of union members who have worked on Broadway or in touring productions since 2000.
In November, Broadway stagehands struck for 19 days, more than three months after their contract expired, shuttering most shows. They eventually agreed to more flexibility in work rules in exchange for pay increases that total 4.5% in the first year of a five-year agreement.
The actors' talks have been less tense. They reached their agreement just three days after their old contract lapsed.
The new agreement contrasts the situation on the West Coast, where Hollywood actors remain in a negotiations stalemate with producers over television and movie work.
On June 30, Hollywood studios made what they called a final offer to the Screen Actors Guild. A sticking point is DVD revenue and payment for shows on the Internet.
