Broadway Musicians Vote Yes On Strike If Deal Not Reached
The union’s strike authorization vote closed on the evening of Oct. 12, and results were tallied soon after. The vote count was 98% in favor of strike authorization.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Oct. 13, 2025
Broadway musicians of AFM Local 802 have voted to authorize a strike if needed, as it is currently in contract talks with the Broadway League. The union’s strike authorization vote closed on the evening of Oct. 12, and results were tallied soon after. The vote count was 98% in favor of strike authorization if necessary.
Local 802 President Bob Suttmann said, “On the heels of the most successful season in history, the Broadway League wants the working musicians and artists who fueled that very success to accept wage cuts, threats to healthcare benefits, and potential job losses. Faced with such an egregious erosion of their working conditions, Local 802 Broadway musicians and other artists are ready to leverage every ounce of their collective power, up to and including a strike. Committing to anything less would mean sacrificing far too many hard-won gains.”
Musicians have been working without a contract on Broadway since Aug. 31, 2025. The musicians’ demands were spelled out clearly in an October 1 open letter to the Broadway League signed by almost all of the 1,200 musicians who play on Broadway.
The letter reads:
We, the Broadway. musicians of AFM Local 802, are united in support of our Broadway Negotiation Committee to win a fair contract that contains:
Fair wages that Reflect Broadway's success. The League is thriving and we need fair wages increases that allow us to share in our industry's historic financial success.
Stable Health coverage. We need the League to pay their fair share of the ever increasing costs of health care for our bargaining unit. Their current position would result in many members losing coverage or the elimination of funding for family coverage.
No change to Attendance Requirement. This is important to chair holders and subs alike and is integral to employment security for hundreds of musicians. It allows us to maintain our bodies, which can be plagued with repetitive stress, and allows us to maintain a presence int he marketplace for when the show closes. This service is free of charge to the League.
Bob Suttuman previously stated, "Broadway musicians are speaking loud and clear: we will do whatever it takes to win a fair contract. Audiences deserve the magic of live Broadway, but the artists who make the magic happen must be paid fairly and must not have their jobs and benefits taken away from them. The Broadway League recently reported its most successful season ever and can fully afford to provide fair pay and benefits, without reducing jobs."
BroadwayWorld previously reported that Actors' Equity Association is also currently in negotiations with the Broadway League for a fair working contract. Talks have come to a stand still and are set to resume on October 17. Points of discussion include safe staffing, humane scheduling, sustainable working conditions, and paying fair share of benefits.
"Good-faith negotiations happen at the bargaining table, not in the press," the League told Deadline last week. "We look forward to returning to the bargaining table next week and are ready to get these contracts done."
How might a strike affect Broadway's 31 currently-running shows? If 802 calls for a strike, all Broadway musicals would be affected except for Ragtime, which operates under a different not-for-profit contract with Lincoln Center Theater. If Equity goes on strike, 26 shows would be affected- all but Mamma Mia! and Beetlejuice (touring contracts), Punch and Ragtime (not-for-profit contracts), and Little Bear Ridge Road (separate contract with Scott Rudin).
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