Stagehands Strike Continues

NY TIMES: The latest round of talks between the producers’ league and the stagehands’ union broke down last night, leaving no end in sight for the strike that has darkened most of Broadway for nine days.

...The negotiations — which lasted for more than 13 hours Saturday and for 11 hours yesterday — came to a halt a little after 9 p.m.

Bruce Cohen, a spokesman for the stagehands’ union, Local 1 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, said in a statement that “producers informed Local 1 that what Local 1 offered was not good enough, and they left.”

This is a big disappointment. I thought that surely a deal would be worked out to salvage the Thanksgiving week, financially the largest week of the year for Broadway. As the day wore on, several colleagues figured that since the League has a $20 million cushion, then why shouldn't they use it? When thought of in those terms, it's not a financial loss at all. They've paid for this week slowly over the last three years.

Will road shows come next?

No one, not the union nor the producers, is talking on the record about what might be the next step in Local 1's battle with the League of American Theatres and Producers. Such a move would need the endorsement of the local's parent union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

It would seriously undermine producers since such megahits as "Wicked" and "Jersey Boys" on the road regularly pull down weekly grosses of $1 million or more.