Crew Members at Major Off-Broadway Theater Go On Strike

Crew members at the Atlantic Theater Company, a major Off-Broadway theater, have gone on strike after contract negotiations fell apart.

As a result of the strike, announced Sunday, the theater has postponed its productions of Grief Camp and I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan. The strike comes after crew members voted to unionize with IATSE in February 2024, with concerns about healthcare and job security, amid a bigger Off-Broadway push. 

After months of negotiations, the two parties met on January 10 and 12 but were not able to reach an agreement. IATSE, which is representing the crew members, says the theater company “demanded several provisions before continuing its further obligations to bargain with the union” and was unwilling to move off their demands.

As a result, the union filed unfair labor practice charges with the federal government, which led to the strike and the cancellation of the Sunday performances of the two plays. IATSE had previously filed an unfair labor practice against the theater company in November, citing minimal progress in negotiations and a postponement of the theater’s fall season amid the negotiations. 

“Atlantic Theater’s refusal to bargain fairly has left the crew no choice but to strike,” said IATSE International President Matthew D. Loeb. “These workers deserve the same dignity, respect, and protections as everyone else in New York’s entertainment community—whether they work in front of or behind the curtain, on or off Broadway. Shame on them for not providing healthcare coverage to all their employees. We are prepared to resume negotiations as soon as Atlantic Theater is ready to bargain in good faith.” 

In turn, the Atlantic says it had offered an agreement with close to a 20 percent increase in wages and other benefits and had offered interim agreements in the past two months that included wage increases and more in return for a no-strike agreement. Those offers had been rejected by the union. 

Further, the Atlantic said it believes its offered terms are similar to the contract with Actors’ Equity and cautioned that the proposals from IATSE could lead to the demise of the theater and others, as they seek to come back from the pandemic. The Atlantic is a nonprofit theater company that has been a pipeline for shows coming to Broadway, including the musicals The Band’s Visit and Kimberly Akimbo, which both won Tony Awards for best musical, and the upcoming Buena Vista Social Club, coming to Broadway this spring.

“The world of Off-Broadway theater is quickly changing: many not-for-profits are doing shorter seasons and choosing plays with smaller casts, press coverage that can boost tickets sales is never guaranteed, advertising costs continue to rise, and production costs have nearly doubled since the pandemic. Most of Off-Broadway is facing a precarious financial situation, running significant deficits since returning from Covid. If IATSE is successful in getting their proposed financials with Atlantic, it would set a precedent for other Off-Broadway companies and we may see the demise of some of our greatest institutions, including Atlantic,” the theater said in a statement. 

Actors’ Equity issued a statement Sunday saying it stands in solidarity with the workers and said it believed IATSE was “negotiating terms that are fair and appropriate for their members.”