NYT: Stagehands’ Union Calls for a Strike Vote

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/13/nyregion/13broadway.html?ref=nyregion

By CAMPBELL ROBERTSON
Published: October 13, 2007

With contract negotiations between producers and stagehands at a standstill, the union representing almost all of the stagehands on Broadway yesterday scheduled a strike vote for Oct. 21.

The union, Local One, announced the call for a strike vote after a meeting at its headquarters that was attended by the leaders of unions representing actors, musicians, ushers, treasurers, makeup stylists and most other Broadway professionals.

Local One has never called a strike on Broadway, and a strike vote does not necessarily lead to a strike. The union decided to call a vote because producers have been contemplating a plan to impose the terms of a new contract on the stagehands.

Talks between the union and the League of American Theaters and Producers reached an impasse on Tuesday night, when both sides traded what they called their final — and quite dissimilar — offers.

Since then, the league has been considering its alternatives. Locking out the stagehands would be costly and would generate negative publicity for the producers. But if the league imposed its final offer on the stagehands, that would, in theory, put the burden of calling a work stoppage on the union.

Internal politics seem to be complicating the matter for the union. League members have privately speculated as to whether the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, the parent union of Local One, would authorize a strike.

FULL story at link.