Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray

Bloomberg Appears Ready To Step Into Fray

According to a report by Campbell Robertson in Wednesday's The New York Times, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has already offered to "help out in talks" between The League of American Theatres and Producers and the stagehands union, Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (I.A.T.S.E.).

Despite Bloomberg's offer, the union's president James J. Claffey Jr. has "respectfully declined" -- no doubt to see through this coming Sunday's scheduled vote to authorize a strike.

If comments here are any indication, sentiment appears to have grown stronger after The League's Executive Director Charlotte St. Martin announced on Tuesday that it would impose "portions" of the final contract they offered the stagehands. The imposition of those terms is scheduled to occur on Monday, one day after the scheduled vote on strike authorization.

The only theatres that would be excluded from a strike are non-profit houses like Lincoln Center, Manhattan Theatre Club's Biltmore Theatre (Mauritius) and Roundabout's American Airlines Theatre (Pygmalion) and Studio 54 (The Ritz) , as well as Disney's New Amsterdam Theatre (Mary Poppins), the Hilton Theatre (Young Frankenstein) and the Circle In The Square Theatre (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee).

While it looks like both sides are ready to take this dispute to the brink, I'm hopeful that Bloomberg's willingness to intervene bodes well for the thousands of audience members nervous about whether their show will be performed.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Related Stories:
If You're Holding Tix For Broadway This Week, You're Safe (October 15, 2007)
Stagehands To Vote On Strike...October 21 (October 12, 2007)
The Shows Must Go On...At Least Over Weekend (October 12, 2007)
Still No Lockout (October 12, 2007)
No Lockout Tonight (October 11, 2007)
Lockout Likely (October 10, 2007)
Is This The One For One? (October 9, 2007)
Stagehands' Union Concedes Key Point (October 5, 2007)
Stagehands Talks To Continue This Afternoon (October 5, 2007)
No Monday Lockout (September 29, 2007)
Before The Holidays Strike? (September 25, 2007)
Thanks, Mel! (July 6, 2007)

Labels: , , , , , ,

2 Comments:

At 17 October, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

They producers are Profit Driven Business men.

They know nothing about Theatre art except how to profit from it.

Next they will blame the new increased ticket prices on the Stagehands.
According to the NY TIMES,
Stage crews are less that 8% of producers cost.
The crews have one day off a week,
The work all weekends and holidays
They deserve better.
Doesn’t your Family want you around at night?
Daddy works weekends Hunny

 
At 17 October, 2007, Anonymous Anonymous said...

But after this Sunday's strike vote -- which I would not be surprised to see authorized -- anything can happen especially as the League seeks to demonize the union in the eyes of the public.

This is Steve On Broadway (SOB).

Watch the Producers Twist the Press for Profit!
Today Is A Sad Day For Bwday.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home

Technorati blog directory Blog Directory & Search engine
Visitor Map

Powered by FeedBurner