More than 1,000 actors have signed a letter expressing solidarity with Actors’ Equity in its ongoing negotiations with the Broadway League as the union demands significant increases in healthcare contributions, “appropriate” paid time off and safe staffing in the workplace.
The letter is signed by many of the biggest names from Broadway and Hollywood, including recent Tony-winner Darren Criss, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Alec Baldwin, Brook Shields, Helen J Shen, Adam Lambert, Kara Young and many others.
“Eight times a week,” the letter to the League states, “we show up for our audiences, but what audiences don’t see are all the additional hours behind the scenes it takes to stay show-ready. The work is intense, the schedules are grueling, and we show up with extraordinary skill, passion, and commitment…Our proposals are fair and reasonable:– Pivot toward humane scheduling, including providing appropriate paid time off, to keep everyone in the best shape possible to do the work;– Pay your fair share toward our health insurance– Reasonably and safely staff our workplaces to foster safety and preventemergencies.”
Read the entire letter and its signees here.
The League said in a statement obtained by Deadline, “We always prefer to negotiate with our union partners at the bargaining table rather than in the press. We look forward to reaching a fair agreement through good faith negotiations that benefits both sides and sustains Broadway as a destination for millions of people from around the world.”
Equity and the League, which represents producers and theater owners, have been in negotiations for a new labor contract since August 25. The most recent three-year contract expired September 28.
Equity’s board has voted to authorize a strike, and union members have been delivering strike pledge cards at stage doors. The Equity-League negotiations will continue with an October 8 session. Both sides have agreed to a two-day mediation next week.
In February, Equity and the League reached a deal with the Broadway League on a new five-year Development Agreement, resolving an eight-month strike that prohibited Equity members’ participation in early stages of development work. That strike did not did not involve any current Broadway or touring productions.
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