Bway Preparing for Strike Between Stagehands & Producers?

The New York Post's Michael Riedel reports that Broadway might be embroiled in a strike this fall, unless matters are settled between producers and stagehands.

Riedel writes: "The stagehands are currently working without a contract but are unlikely to call for a strike until late fall - when Broadway's booming and the financial impact on the city would be significant."  About eight million dollars in revenue was lost in 2003, when musicians went on strike for four days.

Negotiations between the parties are currently underway, but "it's been difficult, and I think it will get uglier...It's going to take longer, and it's much more serious than it's ever been," said a source involved in the talks.

Stagehands are reportedly upset that "they (producers) dictate the terms (of employment) to us, and there are a lot of people on the payroll who don't really work."  Riedel also writes that producers do not want an escalation of stagehands' salaries and that they are "bent on reducing the cost of 'load-in' - the time during which a show is put in the theater."  A load-in for a large-scale musical can cost $1.5 million.

Producers have started "a multimillion-dollar war chest" that will keep the more financially vulnerable shows from closing if there's a strike, while the stagehand have also initiated a fund of their own.  The stagehands also have the security of being able to work in the TV industry, and their union, Local 1, represents stagehands who work in theatre and television.

"All this price-gouging is going on, the producers have never been richer and yet they want us to take cuts.  We should suffer so they can get richer?," said one stagehand, referring to the recent news that Young Frankenstein'stop-priced seats will go for $450.  The producers reason that, while Broadway has been earning record-breaking grosses, a gross is not the same as a profit and "only one in five shows recoups its production cost."