NEW YORK (WABC) — Broadway musicians are saying without a deal they could walk off their jobs before the end of the week. Both sides will meet with a mediator on Wednesday in hopes of coming to an agreement.
But the union representing Broadway musicians, Local 802 AFM, said if they don’t have a contract by Thursday morning, they are prepared to strike immediately.
“The Broadway musicians represented by Local 802 AFM are going into mediation on Wednesday, Oct. 22. If we do not have a new contract by Thursday morning, we are prepared to strike immediately. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement.”
They have been working without a contract since Aug. 31 and are demanding fair wages that reflect Broadway’s success, stable health coverage and employment and income security.
“When the shows are succeeding in the way they have been, it’s really important to them that they are able to succeed as well,” said Local 802 AFM – Recording Vice PresidentDan Point. The Broadway League issued the following statement:
“Good-faith negotiations happen at the bargaining table, not in the press,” said a spokesperson with The Broadway League. “We value our musicians and we are committed to working in good faith to get a fair contract done.”
If the musicians do walk, 23 different shows would be impacted (theater names are in parentheses):
& Juliet (Sondheim), Aladdin (New Amsterdam), Beetlejuice (Palace), Book of Mormon (O’Neil), Buena Vista (Schoenfeld), Chess (Imperial), Chicago (Ambassador), Death Becomes Her (Lunt Fontanne), Gatsby (Broadway), Hadestown (Kerr), Hamilton (Rogers), Hells Kitchen (Shubert), Just in Time (Circle in the Square), Lion King (Minskoff), Mamma Mia (Wintergarden), Maybe Happy Ending (Belasco), Mincemeat (Golden), MJ (Neil Simon), Moulin Rouge (Hirshfeld), Outsiders (Jacob’s), Queen of Versailles (St. James), Six (Atkinson), Wicked (Gershwin)
The most recent major strike on Broadway was in late 2007, when a 19-day walkout dimmed the lights on more than two dozen shows and cost producers and the city millions of dollars in lost revenue.
