Agreement reached to avert Broadway actors' strike, union says

(This Oct 18 story has been refiled without any changes to the text.) (Reuters) – Broadway actors have reached a tentative agreement to avert a strike that would shut down 32 stage productions as theater attendance approaches its peak season, according to their union. Actors' Equity, a union that represents more than 51,000 actors and stage managers, said it reached a tentative, three-year agreement with The Broadway League, the trade association that represents theater owners, producers and operators. However, the producers have yet to reach an agreement with the American Federation of Musicians Local 802, which represents Broadway's musicians, so a strike by that union is still possible. The actors union said it would put its full support behind the musicians union as it works to reach an agreement. Al Vincent Jr., executive director and lead negotiator for Actors' Equity, said that the agreement "saves the Equity-League Health Fund while also making strides in our other priorities including scheduling and physical therapy access". The agreement for the contract has been sent to members for ratification, according to the union. The previous three-year contract ended on September 28. The union had earlier in September threatened to walk off the stage as it had not reached an agreement. A central issue in bargaining had been healthcare and the contribution the Broadway League makes to the union's health care fund. Other sectors of the entertainment industry have been roiled by labor unrest, with Hollywood actors and writers striking in 2023, as they fought for better compensation in the streaming TV era and curbs on the use of artificial intelligence. Video game actors staged a nearly year-long walkout as they sought protections against the use of artificial intelligence, before reaching a tentative agreement with game studios in July. (Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru and Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Franklin Paul)

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