Broadway averts strike as musicians reach deal, actors and stage managers already aligned

Broadway has avoided a shutdown with hours to spare, after the musicians union reached a tentative agreement with the Broadway League early Thursday morning. The deal arrived at about 4.30 a.m. following a reported 18 hour bargaining session, and came days after a similar agreement between the League and Actors’ Equity Association, which represents stage actors and stage managers.

Local 802 president Bob Suttmann said the three year agreement delivers meaningful wage and health benefit increases, preserves access to healthcare, and maintains strong contract protections for musicians. The agreements still require ratification by union members.

Actors’ Equity and the League struck their tentative three year deal five days earlier, which, according to reports, includes salary increases of 3 percent in each year and an increase to the health fund. Equity’s contract expired on 28 September. The musicians’ contract expired on 31 August, with negotiations running since late August and work continuing without a contract since 31 August.

The push to a resolution drew visible industry support. An open letter in solidarity with Equity gathered more than 1,000 signatures from Broadway performers and high profile artists, including Darren Criss, Sean Astin, Phillipa Soo, Brooke Shields, Adam Lambert, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Adrienne Warren, Victoria Clark, Annaleigh Ashford, Taran Killam, Cristin Milioti, and Tatiana Maslany. The letter urged producers to move toward humane scheduling with appropriate paid time off, to contribute fairly to health insurance, and to staff productions safely.

A strike would have marked Equity’s first since 1968, and would have been the first full Broadway shutdown since the COVID 19 closure. Broadway has seen major labor stoppages in the modern era, including the 2003 musicians’ strike that closed most shows for several days, and a 2008 IATSE strike that disrupted productions for 19 days.

The Broadway League said it prefers to negotiate in good faith at the table, not in the press, and expressed confidence about reaching fair agreements that sustain Broadway as a global destination.

Actors’ Equity represents performers and stage managers on Broadway, on national tours, and at Equity theatres around the United States. Many Equity actors also belong to SAG AFTRA, which was on strike for 118 days in 2023. Equity supported SAG AFTRA during that action while members continued to perform onstage.

With tentative deals now in place for both musicians and Equity, Broadway productions are expected to proceed as scheduled pending ratification.

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