The Equity Production Contract Has Expired; Is a Strike Next?

Did you know that the Equity Production Contract officially expired on September 28? Actors’ Equity Association and the Broadway League are currently negotiating the terms under which actors and stage managers will work on Broadway for the next several years.

What does it mean for audiences and industry members now that it's expired?

EquityUnitedOfficial shares: "Now that the Production contract is expired, many of the terms and conditions of your employment, including your wages and work rules, remain in effect until a new one is negotiated and ratified. But one main difference between an active and expired contract is this: with an expired contract, the no-strike clause is no longer in effect for Production shows produced by members of The Broadway League. If negotiations stall and progress is not being made at the table, Equity can call for a strike. Strikes are always considered the last resort; there are many other ways union members can exhibit their unity and strength before we get to that point."

If a stike occurs, this wouldn't be the first time that Broadway has shut down due to labor strikes. Jennifer Ashely Tepper touched on the subject in BroadwayWorld Deep Dive. She writes:

Actors Equity Strikes are one example of when Broadway has completely ground to a halt. Fighting for fair wages and treatment, Actors Equity has struck in 1919 (one month), 1960 (11 days), 1964 (1 day) and 1968 (3 days).

The Strike of 1919 was actually responsible for forming Actors Equity as we know it today. Prior to 1919, actors were treated horrifically; they were forced to add extra performances without compensation, pay for their own costumes, rehearse without salary, work without warning of unemployment, travel without any promise of fare home, and more. In fact, the high volume of actors who were stranded in cities far from home during the 1918 pandemic was one episode that led to the 1919 uprising. The stars of Broadway stood hand in hand with everyone who worked in the theatre, and after a month-long shut-down and lots of drama, Broadway reopened on different terms. (The Actors Equity Strike of 1919 is one of my favorite topics I wrote about in my book series The Untold Stories of Broadway-you can read a longer version of the story in volume 3.)