Agreement to avoid a large-scale strike on Broadway

As the Hollywood actors' strike continues, the renowned Broadway theaters will not be closing their curtains after an agreement was reached in New York between various stakeholders in the industry, as stated in a joint statement on Thursday.

The agreement was signed between the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) on one side, and the Broadway League, representing theater owners and producers, along with Disney Theatrical, a subsidiary of the entertainment giant Disney. However, the agreement still needs approval from the approximately 1,500 members of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, who will make their decision in the coming days, according to the statement.

The union spokesperson, Jonas Löb, welcomed the agreement, which "averted a strike even though it still needs approval from our members."

The agreement was reached a day after the union allowed its members to start voicing their position on the possibility of a strike starting from Friday, as reported by local newspapers.

The strike would have affected twenty-nine theatrical productions in New York and seventeen other touring productions across North America. This sector has sold 12.3 million tickets during the 2022-2023 season, generating sales of 1.6 billion dollars.

This strike would have been added to the one already initiated by Hollywood actors, the first time in 63 years.

Last week, 160,000 actors in television and film stopped working due to the failure to reach an agreement with production studios. They joined the screenwriters who have been on strike for weeks, demanding improvements in their conditions.



AFP