A strike vote Thursday by the union representing 1,500 stagehands and other backstage workers could shut down Broadway shows as soon as Friday, according to the union. The vote will be held throughout the day Thursday.
"This strike vote will send a strong message that we will not accept substandard contracts that fail to acknowledge our workers' contributions," said Mathew Loeb, president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). "We will not back down unless we have a deal the members can accept by the end of the week."
The Broadway League and Disney Theatrical, the two groups representing management in talks with the union, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The strike threat comes as 160,000 actors who are represented by SAG-AFTRA, as well as 11,000 members of the Writers Guild of America, are already on strike against major film studios and streaming services, shutting down most of the film movie and television shows in production nationwide.
The strike would be a blow to the New York City economy, which is still suffering from the shift from in-office work to people working from home. Tourism is a major driver of the city's economy and Broadway a significant magnet for those tourists.
The Broadway League reported that in the season that concluded in May, the first full season since Broadway shows were disrupted by the pandemic, theaters reached a total attendance of 12.3 million and grossed $1.6 billion in ticket sales.
-- This is a developing story. It will be updated
