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Broadway Actors' Union Hits NYC Streets in Strike Over Developmental Labs

What to Know

  • Actors' Equity union is on strike asking for a stronger Lab Agreement with the Broadway League
  • The Lab Agreement is contract used for development of new productions, often musicals; Salaries on the agreement have been frozen since 2007
  • After nearly two years of unsuccessful attempts to a new contract with the Broadway League, Equity members declared a strike Tuesday

Actors’ Equity union were leafleting to Broadway ticket buyers outside the Broadway TKTS location in Time Square Wednesday, asking them to join the #NotALabRat campaign.

Following the launch of a strike Tuesday, Equity members, have hit the streets, asking audiences to join their fight for a stronger Lab Agreement with the Broadway League.

The Actors’ Equity is the national labor union for professional stage managers and actors in live theatre.

After nearly two years of unsuccessful attempts to negotiate a new contract to replace the Lab Agreement with the Broadway League, Equity members declared a strike, calling for a halt to all new show development work with members of the Broadway League.

The Lab Agreement is a contract used for the development of new productions, often musicals. Weekly salaries on the agreement have been frozen since 2007, the Equity says.

The strike was organized following reports that 2018 was Broadway’s highest-ever grossing year on record.

“Equity members are united and volunteering their time to support their union because our fight for a contract to replace the lab agreement was based on an outcry from members, who don’t believe that they should be forced to go 12 years without a raise when Broadway is smashing box office records,” Brandon Lorenz, National Communications Director for Actors’ Equity Association, said in a statement.

The Broadway League says it looks forward to continued dialogue with union members to reach an agreement.

The Broadway League has been negotiating in good faith over multiple sessions and there are additional proposals to make. We look forward to continuing our respectful dialogue with the union and are confident that we will reach a fair agreement that will be beneficial to both sides.”

The #NotALabRat campaign kicked off in November on social media, where Equity members began sharing videos and messages about why no one should still be earning the same weekly salary they were 12 years ago.

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