Broadway Musicians Prepared to Strike

Unsplash, Denys Nevozhai

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 802 is the union that protects musicians on Broadway. Since the expiration of this union’s contract with the Broadway League at the end of August, union members have made it clear that they want change. 

Union members are seeking improved job security, increased wages and reliable healthcare coverage. A reported 98% of union members support a potential strike if a decision is not reached through mediation on Oct 22. 

If this strike were to happen, dozens of Broadway shows, including “Wicked,” “The Great Gatsby,” and “The Lion King,” would go dark. The only Broadway show that would be entirely safe is “Ragtime,” which resides under a separate not-for-profit contract. 

Robert Suttmann, president of AFM Local 802, asserted that musicians will not stand down. 

“On the heels of the most successful season in history, the Broadway League wants the working musicians…who fueled that very success to accept wage cuts, threats to healthcare benefits, and potential job losses,” said Suttmann. “Local 802 Broadway musicians…are ready to leverage every ounce of their collective power, up to and including a strike. Committing to anything less would mean sacrificing far too many hard-won gains.”

The Broadway League released a statement on Oct. 14 regarding the strike, saying, “Good faith negotiations happen at the bargaining table, not in the press. We value our musicians, and we are committed to working in good faith to get a fair contract done.”

Last month, Laks said in an interview that steep increases in the cost of labor and production have made it hard for Broadway productions to make a profit. Broadway’s financial decline makes the League hesitant to offer more money to musicians. 

The most recent Broadway strike was by stagehands in 2007. Logan Culwell-Block, a writer for Playbill, expressed belief that actors will join the strike and further darken Broadway’s theatres. 

Already, recent Broadway performers such as Darren Criss and Adam Lambert have expressed their support for Local 802 by signing a letter of solidarity. Current New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has also expressed solidarity with Local 802 through a post on X, saying, “Broadway’s actors, musicians, and crew make New York the cultural capital of the world. Their health care is on the line, and it’s time for a fair deal that protects it.”