Union formation efforts are intensifying in New York's Off-Broadway, the theater district outside of Broadway. Even traditional theaters that have produced multiple Tony Award-winning shows have effectively closed due to failed negotiations with the unions. The theater industry is on high alert regarding the ripple effects that this union strike could bring.
On the 10th (local time), The New York Times (NYT) reported that the union formation movement sweeping Off-Broadway is reshaping New York's theater production economy, noting that "theaters are concerned that (union formation) will lead to increased expense burden, given that the market has not fully recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic."
The union formation in Off-Broadway is led by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), which represents workers from Broadway and Hollywood. This organization has already secured union contracts for two Off-Broadway commercial productions, namely the musical "Titanic" and the musical "Little Shop of Horrors."
The union formation movement, which was previously limited to actors, directors, and stage designers, is now spreading to other professions in Off-Broadway. Over the past year, the production teams from Atlantic Theater, Vineyard Theatre, and Public Theater have included regular and freelance staff working in audio, video, hair, and other fields.
Off-Broadway workers are cheering the union formation efforts. A costume staff member from Atlantic Theater said, "The theater is always the work I have dedicated myself to and the life I have chosen, but I hope it will continue to sustain me in the future," adding, "I think the union is the way to secure the benefits and wages I need."
The Wall Street Journal reported, "Many workers believe that the union formation of the stage production team should have happened long ago," noting that "since many theaters in Off-Broadway have now grown to a certain extent, workers say they should pay higher wages and provide benefits."
Brian Munro, the representative of the theater institutional sector for IATSE in New York, said, "The pandemic has made workers acutely aware of the need for protection," adding, "Most Off-Broadway workers have come to us because they know we represent entertainment workers."
However, negotiations between the theaters and the unions have not been proceeding smoothly. None of the three theater unions formed in the past year has completed negotiations. The Atlantic Theater union has been on strike since the 12th of last month after negotiations broke down. As a result, two performances at the Atlantic Theater have been suspended.
The conflict between the theaters and the unions is affecting Broadway as a whole. Atlantic Theater postponed its fall 2024 season to buy time for labor negotiations and canceled winter season performances following the production team's strike. The status of spring season performances is now also uncertain.
The theaters are concerned that union formation could lead to financial difficulties. An Atlantic Theater official warned in a statement issued at the beginning of the strike, "If we accept the demands of IATSE, it will set a precedent for other Off-Broadway theaters, and as a result, some theaters, including ours, could disappear."
The Wall Street Journal expects that more production teams in Off-Broadway will join the union formation movement, which is likely to lead to rising wages for workers and increased expenses for employers.
Casey York, the president of the Off-Broadway League, acknowledged the necessity of stage production teams but stated, "The theater industry has faced significant challenges over the past few years. We must find ways to make this industry sustainable in the long term during this recovery process."