Broadway Musicians Intend to ‘Strike Immediately’ If No Deal Is Reached
Local 802 AFM will strike on Thursday if negotiations with The Broadway League continue to stall.
Broadway musicians union Local 802 AFM has set a deadline for a strike if an agreement for a new standard contract is not reached with the Broadway League. The union has given the League until the morning of October 23 before they say an “immediate” strike will be called. The move comes as both parties are scheduled to enter into mediation October 22.
“We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement,” reads a statement from Local 802 President Bob Suttmann.
The musicians’ most recent Broadway contract expired August 31, 2025. Since then, the union has been trying to achieve a new contract that includes increased wages, increased healthcare contributions, and employment and income security. Actor-stage manager union Actors’ Equity Association was recently seeking similar terms for their own base Broadway Production Contract, reaching a tentative agreement with the League over the weekend.
An October vote of Local 802 members to authorize a potential strike saw approximately 98 percent of the union’s voting membership approving the move.
A strike of Broadway musicians would likely leave much of the Main Stem’s musicals dark. Per press notes from Local 802, their strike would affect Broadway’s & Juliet, Aladdin, Beetlejuice, The Book of Mormon, Buena Vista Social Club, Chess, Chicago, Death Becomes Her, The Great Gatsby, Hadestown, Hamilton, Hell’s Kitchen, Just in Time, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat, MJ The Musical, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, The Outsiders, The Queen of Versailles, SIX: The Musical, and Wicked.
Ragtime, running on Broadway via Lincoln Center Theater, would not be affected by a musicians’ strike due to the show operating on a separate, not-for-profit contract.
If Actors’ Equity were to go on strike in solidarity—which is historically likely—it could force a stop to more shows than are in 802’s list. The actor-stage manager union has not yet commented publicly on this possibility, nor on which shows would potentially be affected by such a move. Their own new Production Contract agreement remains tentative and not yet ratified by its membership, which could potentially allow for a more all-encompassing strike, or refusal of actors and stage managers to cross 802 picket lines.
“On the heels of the most successful season in history, the Broadway League wants the working musicians and artists who fueled that very success to accept wage cuts, threats to healthcare benefits, and potential job losses,” said Suttmann in a previous statement. “Faced with such an egregious erosion of their working conditions, Local 802 Broadway musicians and other artists are ready to leverage every ounce of their collective power, up to and including a strike. Committing to anything less would mean sacrificing far too many hard-won gains.”
Broadway musicians have gone on strike previously, for five days in 2003. The most recent Broadway strike came via stagehands in 2007, which kept most of the Main Stem dark for 19 days. The last time Actors’ Equity went on strike was in 1968, which ended after three days when New York’s mayor stepped in.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has expressed solidarity with Local 802 and Actors’ Equity: “Broadway’s actors, musicians, and crew make New York the cultural capital of the world. Their health care is on the line, and it’s time for a fair deal that protects it.”
First Appeared on
Source link
