BroadwayWorld Strike Coverage: Union to Strike On-the-Road?

The New York Post reports today that striking stagehands may carry their cause to the national touring companies across America. "Union leaders are threatening to pull theater stagehands from lucrative out-of-town tours to put pressure on producers with whom they reached an impasse in bitter contract talks, several sources said yesterday…The popular touring shows bring producers hundreds of millions of dollars a year," states the article.

There are currently over two-dozen national touring companies crossing America, including road- and sit-down productions of Broadway hits like Wicked, Jersey Boys, The Color Purple, and Avenue Q.

President of IATSE, Thomas Short, has not authorized any Local Union to strike on the road. However, after a press conference held yesterday with representatives of Local One, there appears to be no end in sight to the Broadway strike.  Both sides of the bargaining table are taking efforts to firmly state their position and may go to any means necessary to make their message clear.