Actors’ Equity Ceases Development Contracts As Negotiations With Producers Stall
deadline.comUPDATE, with League statement: Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, will cease issuing contracts for work on productions in development as negotiations with the Broadway League have stalled. “We never wanted it to come to this,” said Equity Negotiating Team Chair Stephen Bogardus in a statement, “but the wage package put across the table by The Broadway League was just plain unacceptable.
Our members cannot afford to work on this contract at the proposed compensation levels over the next five years.” The union has been in negotiations with the League – the trade organization representing theater owners and producers – since January; the current contract expired February 11.
The negotiations and the ceasing of development contracts does not impact current Broadway productions or shows opening later this season.
In a statement, the League responded to Equity’s announcement: “The Broadway League and our bargaining partners have engaged in good faith negotiations with Actors’ Equity on new terms for our development work contract, including agreeing to the Union’s request to utilize the federal mediation services to help facilitate this process.
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