November 2007 Archives

On Monday, November 26th, I appeared on WNYW [NYC Fox channel 5] morning show Good Day New York to talk about show alternatives during the strike. Their website has a summary of it here. Just in case their site changes the page, we discussed the following shows:

Altar Boyz
New World Stages, 340 W 50th St.
Telecharge.com (212) 239-6200

The Awesome 80s Prom
Webster Hall, 125 E 11th St.
Theatermania.com (212) 352-3101

Gazillion Bubble Show
New World Stages, 340 W 50th St.
Telecharge.com (212) 239-6200

My First Time
New World Stages, 340 W 50th St.
Telecharge.com (212) 239-6200

Three Mo' Tenors
Little Shubert Theatre, 422 W 42nd St.
Telecharge.com (212) 239-6200

The strike can be over today. It just takes two leaders.

As this strike is in the fourth day, cracks start to form on the fragile Broadway economy.

There are a lot of smart people on both sides. But smart is not how either side is playing it -- it is being approached with force rather than thought. I thought better of The League and Local One than to turn to thuggery. Examples: Someone on The League negotiating side offering gloves to union reps? Local One not going back to the table because they are not getting "respect"... like a rapper in some song? Both are the actions of thugs, not business people looking to come to an agreement. We need leadership on both sides to standup and say enough is enough.

This has escalated to long-term damage level and it needs to be ended today. I have a modest proposal. It may have been suggested already, but it should be considered again. Today.

At the end of the day, when this negotiation is complete, there will be some sort of immediate increase in salary costs to League members. What is in question is how much. The League has put aside a $20 million reserve fund which they should pledge the fund to cover the delta in salary during the strike period. Set a date, say July 31, which is when the Local One contract expired.

The $20 million fund is a tool of The League. It could be used as a weapon, which is how Local One perceives it right now, or it could be used as a bridge to bring both sides closer to resolution.

There are approximately 350 currently members of Local One employed by The League. If they end up with a 20% over five year increase, the fund will surely cover the stopgap during the period from July 31 until the signing of the new contract, hopefully with much to spare.

After the new contract is signed, the current employers (producers) take over the new costs. If money remains in the fund, The League surely has provisions for that. If the fund runs out, there is no contingency but maybe it would make both Local One and The League more willing to come to an agreement.

This course of action will guarantee that the current workers are covered if their show closes. In return for this "respect" paid to Local One, they should get everyone back to work, and back to the table so that a deal can be hammered out.

This proposal can only work if there is a leader on each side willing to put his or her ego in check and extend a hand to the friend across the aisle. It is what is sorely needed for the Broadway community. I hope that someone is able to step up on each side and make the move.

The strike by IATSE Local One, otherwise known as Broadway's stagehands, is not going well for either side. But Local One is losing the PR war.

The League of American Theatres and Producers (The League) has put out two press releases (The Facts About The Stagehands Strike and Update From Charlotte St. Martin Regarding Strike By Local One, IATSE Stagehands) while Local One has put out a flier (Local One Strike Flier)

Lets look at what Local One is claiming:

Theatre owners and producers are demanding a 38% cut in our jobs and wages.

We keep hearing this stat, but Local One has not backed it up with an explanation. Who is taking a pay cut? Please be specific. Which jobs are being eliminated? Is there a safety issue here or is it totally fiscal?

Broadway is a billion dollar a year industry and has never been more profitable than now.

Yes, Broadway is a billon dollar a year industry. But whether or not is has been more profitable than ever is disputable. There is a very drastic difference between "gross" and profit. How many shows opened on Broadway last year? How many were profitable? It costs an average of $20,800,000 per year to run a Broadway show (@$400K/week, which is low, especially for a few larger shows which cost upwards of $600K/week to run.) When matched against weekly grosses, there are few shows actually making a profit.

Cuts in our jobs and wages will never result in a cut in ticket prices to benefit the public, but only an increase in the profits for producers.

No one expects ticket prices to go down, but making the statement that producers pocket the difference is not only irresponsible, possibly libel, but also naive with respect to the budgetary process and the way in which producers make money.

The League is claiming:

The average stagehand makes more than $150,000 per year in salary and benefits, and many earn more than $200,000 per year. No one is seeking to cut stagehands' wages. Our last proposal includes a 3.5% wage increase each year for five years, plus other wage enhancements - more than a 20% increase in wages.

I believe that The League is referring to a show that is already running and not to the load-in/load-out. But those are damning numbers for Local One. The majority of actors on Broadway are under a chorus contract that is about 1/2 the salary of that. (source: Actor's Equity website.)

We pay our Head Electricians more than $2,500 a week, but they are prohibited from doing more than 10 minutes of work each show. That's a six figure salary for 80 minutes of work a week.

Is The League correct in their assertion that the Head Electrician is prohibited from doing more than 10 minutes of work each show? Please chime in Local One or others to explain.

It takes a few minutes to move a piano, but we are forced to pay stagehands for four hours of work. As a result, over the course of a year, many stagehands add another $50,000 dollars to their six figure salaries from moving pianos or mopping floors.

When we are loading in a new show, we must hire an entire stagehand crew all day, every day, even when they are not needed. We end up paying many stagehands who are not needed, and who do nothing.

These two items were separate in The League press release, but are related. One dropped piano is a lot more expensive to a Producer than the cost of a few extra hands per day. But Local One should also provide a solution for obvious areas of cost savings by matching salary levels with skill levels.

A flyman making $160,000 annually in salary and benefits is required for all productions, even when there is no fly cue in the production and no flyman is needed.

Is this really true? What is the Local One response to this?

Regardless of who is right or wrong here, Local One is losing the PR war. Parents (nee: ticket buyer) with children crying outside of Grinch are not believing that the $150K/year picketers are being treated unfairly by The League. Actors, Musicians, Ushers, Box Office, Production Office and the rest who are not collecting paychecks cannot afford to support a strike over fiscal-only issues. Very few, if any of those mentioned, are making close to what Local One members make.

If there is a different Local One message that is not making it undistorted through the media, please send it to me and I will print it unedited. If not, it is time to get back to work.