AMERICAN THEATRE: The National Council of Actors’ Equity Association has authorized the union’s lead negotiator, executive director Al Vincent Jr., to call a strike on all Broadway League tours at a time he deems appropriate. The union is seeking fair pay, appropriate housing and per diem, and sufficient coverage to ensure that shows can go on when individual Equity members cannot.
2 comments:
Being a part of a touring company is, in my opinion, harder than being stationed at one theatre doing a show. You are traveling around the world, performing for new cities within days or weeks, and you don’t have a set home. It shocks me that those on tour don’t have fair pay, or appropriate housing. So, I completely support their decision to go on strike. It’s abusrd that the Broadway League producers have been able to get away with this. I know AEA mostly deals with actors, but I also think about the Stage Managers. It just isn’t fair that they can’t even get good housing while they are traveling around. Plus, their contract has been expired for two months. Why has it taken them this long to fix this? The Broadway League should have been prepared with a good and fair contract before the contract was set to expire. -Hailey
As countless industries refuse to meet the cost of living for their workers, many such groups of workers are choosing to go on strike, and it makes sense that this industry would be no different. These workers are completely justified in their desire to strike. It’s unsurprising that the people who stand to make the most money by exploiting Actors’ Equity Association members would do just that. Refusing to cover the costs of food and housing, forcing actors and stage managers to work when sick, these actions are outrageous signs of a greedy and power hungry group of people. When workers are promised that their needs will be met, it is the responsibility of the company to continue to meet those needs as they change. Hopefully negotiations will prove useful and these workers won’t have to strike, but if they are forced to, I hope their actions will be listened to.
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