Broadway Strikers Pull Picket Line From Theater Staging Children's Benefit

Source: Workers Independent News

By Doug Cunningham

Take, take, take. That’s the corporate mantra in America from the auto shop floor at GM, Ford and Chrysler to the Broadway stage. Members of International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees are the latest to rise to defend families and their homes in the Broadway strike. Broadway producers want a 38 percent cut in jobs and wages even as the billion dollar a year industry profits. The Broadway stage workers pulled their picket line Monday so a benefit show for mentally challenged children could be staged at the Marriott Marquis Theater. But they want respect from theater producers and want to be treated honorably at the bargaining table. The producers have a $20 million fund raised from a surcharge on theater tickets to battle the union. The producers want to use as few workers as possible to stage their shows while the union wants to make sure the shows are professionally staged and staged safely with an adequate full staff.

Read more: http://www.laborradio.org/node/7258

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little less black and white.

The producers aren't necessarily great evil corporatists -- what they are are the people who raise the funds to take any particular show to b'way to begin with. Often they use their own money to do that, because they believe in the work itself. (It's not all big monster Disney).

OTOH, the union workers often have rules that make it very expensive to put a show on -- extra people hanging around backstage, "supervising", etc. Again, especially when you're not talking about a big Disney-produced spectacular, but something that has just started off-b'way or in regional theaters, those people are well used to putting things on with gum and shoelaces. They know they don't need three guys hanging around that rope when one does the job.

I think the idea of a 32% cut is ludicrous. But I also think it's too easy to make this look like a good guys vs. bad guys thing. I'd rather see less of Disney, more of real theater, and more of people involved in both who are there for the art form, first and foremost.

"The producers have a $20 million fund raised from a surcharge on theater tickets to battle the union."

Perhaps that money could have been used for better purpose???
Like - I don't know - what the union was asking for?

And I don't like the idea that when I buy a ticket to a Broadway show, I'm essentially contributing to union busting...

Producers have been trying to negotiate better wages for the workers who are working. What they're trying to change are many "featherbedding" rules that the union has insituted over the years, that add immensely to the cost of your theater ticket. Extra people required, even if they're not needed to do anything, minimum hours that far exceed the time required to get the job done... and these producers are NOT all mega-millionaires. Many times they've put their own homes and savings on the line for a show.

Did you know that the union workers generally take home 6 figure salaries? Not exactly the poor downtrodden.

I'd rather see good wages for skilled labor, and the labor being paid for -- not padding. Broadway has gotten extraordinarily expensive -- to produce, to see. It would be great for more theater to be more accessible to more people. Everyone's going to have to come to the table ready to deal honestly if this is to work.

There are theaters not affected by this, so you can still see a show. Plus, some of the most interesting stuff can happen off-b'way, and in regional theaters -- not involved in this dispute.

BTW, the union has also put aside money. I didn't see that mentioned in the OP's article, but a little searching around gave me that information. Again, not so one-sided as it seems.