Broadway strike averted as Hollywood industrial action continues

A strike by Broadway stagehands and theatre crews looks to have been averted at the last moment.

On Thursday, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) said the union had reached a tentative agreement with Broadway producers ahead of industrial action.

It comes as the strike by Hollywood actors has caused an industry-wide shutdown.

Strikes by IATSE had been threatened as early as Friday. The union covers 1,500 workers and more than 40 shows in New York and on tour.

The union did not announce the terms of the proposed contract with the Broadway League and Disney Theatrical Productions.

In a joint statement, the three groups said: “The respective parties will inform their members of the details of this agreement in the coming days.”

Earlier, Wicked director Jon M. Chu said the adaptation of the hit musical was days away from wrapping, before the Screen Actors Guild–American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (Sag-Aftra) strike began.

Chu, the filmmaker known for 2018’s Crazy Rich Asians and 2021’s In The Heights, wrote on Instagram: “Not done yet. Just paused until the strike is over and we can finish the last pieces of the movie.

“We were only a few days away from being done so we were SO close. It’s been very painful to put a halt to it all but we will be back! And we will finish properly strong when the time is right.”

The movie stars Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Cynthia Erivo, Michelle Yeoh, Keala Settle and Jeff Goldblum.

Chart-topping pop star Grande will play Glinda, and Oscar-nominated British actress Erivo will appear as Elphaba.

The director also said the release date of the film, currently set for December 2024, “shouldn’t be affected” by the halting of production in the UK.

He added: “My heart goes out to our cast and crew who were cut short of what we came here to complete together.

“More to come but in the meantime I’m excited to excavate what we have shot for the past year here in Oz (release date shouldn’t be affected). It has been an extraordinary adventure… more to do.”

He sent “much love” to the film’s stars and “our other beloved SAG members who are fighting for a fair deal! We stand with you”.

Among the Hollywood stars pictured on the picket lines on Thursday were The Good Doctor actor Daniel Dae Kim, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever actress Lupita Nyong’o, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery actress Jackie Hoffman and Carrie Fisher’s sister Joely Fisher.

The strike was called after the union failed to reach an agreement on a number of issues, including pay and the use of artificial intelligence (AI), with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the major film studios, TV networks and streaming giants.

Sag-Aftra said actors face an “existential threat to their livelihoods” with the rise of generative AI technology and the threat of unregulated use, while the issue of pay has also been a key part of negotiations as the advent of streaming has changed the way actors are compensated for their work.

The union, which represents about 160,000 members of the industry, called the strike last week after the Writers Guild of America began industrial action on May 2.

Some waivers have been granted by Sag-Aftra to producers of independent films to continue production as long as they are operating outside the studio system.

The union is publishing a list each day, which now includes Weekend Escape Project, which Dracula Untold star Luke Evans has been seen filming in Taiwan, and The Summer Book, for which Fatal Attraction actress Glenn Close travelled to Finland to star in.