TheaterMania talks to theatergoers about how the current strike on Broadway is affecting their plans.
On Saturday, November 10, more than two dozen Broadway shows came to a complete halt when Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), the union for Broadway stagehands, went on strike against the League of American Theatres and Producers. The League has offered wage increases to union employees while insisting that the union make concessions over the number of employees — including carpenters and electricians — that need to be hired during a show’s load-in process. Under current rules, certain Union members must be paid for the entire load-in process, whether or not their work is required every day. The union is standing firm that job cuts are not negotiable.
With the strike set to continue until at least Saturday, November 17 — talks between the two sides will resume this weekend — many theatergoers are having to change their plans, often by purchasing tickets to one of the eight Broadway shows that are running. TheaterMania went out and spoke to some of these intrepid folks about how the strike is affecting their lives.
