NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- Broadway musicians voted Monday to authorize a strike—a dramatic move that comes as they seek a new three-year contract with better pay and greater contributions to their healthcare plan.
Talks are ongoing, and a walkout isn’t imminent, but Local 802 President Bob Sutton said the musicians, who’ve been working without a contract since August, need to be heard. The vote was 98% in favor.
“The [Broadway] League has put forth proposals that are actually regressive, that would actually equal a 6% pay cut and that’s completely unacceptable,” Sutton said.
“It seems like they have just gone through the contract and slashed anywhere that they could,” he said.
He pointed to record Broadway profits of nearly $2 billion last season.
“The truth is that attendance has never been higher, they’ve completely bounced back post-pandemic,” Sutton said.
Ever increasing production costs and the failure of big budget musicals to turn a profit have been concerns for theater owners and producers.
A spokesperson for the Broadway League, which represents theater owners and producers, told 1010 WINS: "Good-faith negotiations happen at the bargaining table, not in the press. We value our musicians and we are committed to working in good faith to get a fair contract done."
The last musician strike on Broadway occurred in 2003 and lasted several days.