AFM Local 802 Prepared to 'Strike Immediately' If Contract Isn't Reached By Thursday

AFM Local 802, the union representing Broadway musicians, has released a statement from Local 802 President Bob Suttmann, noting that they are prepared to strike immediately if a new contract isn't reached by Thursday.

The statement reads: “The Broadway musicians represented by Local 802 AFM are going into mediation on Wednesday, Oct. 22. If we do not have a new contract by Thursday morning, we are prepared to strike immediately. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement.”

Broadway musicians have been working without a contract since Aug. 31, 2025.

On Monday, BroadwayWorld reported that mediation between Local 802 and the Broadway League was set to resume on Wednesday, October 22 following last Monday's news that the union had voted to authorize a strike.  On Saturday, October 18, it was reported that Equity and the League had reached one tentative deal.

A potential strike would affect the following Broadway shows: & Juliet, Aladdin, Beetlejuice, The Book of Mormon, Buena Vista Social Club, Chess, Chicago, Death Becomes Her, The Great Gatsby, Hadestown, Hamilton, Hells Kitchen, Just in Time, The Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Maybe Happy Ending, Operation Mincemeat, MJ, Moulin Rouge!, The Outsiders, The Queen of Versailles, Six, and Wicked.

Local 802 represents thousands of highly skilled musicians who drive New York City’s thriving cultural and tourism economy. Its members perform on Broadway, at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Radio City, in recording studios, as teaching artists, on late-night TV shows and in other televised bands, and in hotels, clubs, festivals and venues across NYC. The musicians of Local 802 strive to advocate for the common interests of all musicians by organizing a community that dignifies our labor, celebrates our art, and honors the vital role music and culture plays in the economic, cultural and social life of our communities. The union’s ultimate goal is to strengthen our city’s artistic environment and cultural fabric, working every day to champion live music in our communities, advocate for fair wages and the treatment of musicians, and promote policies that allow musicians to afford to live, work and raise a family in New York City.