IATSE Strikes Against Atlantic Theater Company; 2 Productions Postponed

Just in from Atlantic Theater Company and IATSE, who have been locked in a multi-month negotiation. Negotiations between IATSE and the Atlantic Theater Company have broken down, prompting crew members to go on strike effective immediately. The strike began ahead of the 2:00 PM matinee performance today. 

In February of 2024, the Atlantic Theater crew was the first group to unionize with IATSE from a major off-Broadway, non-profit theater. However, several months later, little progress has been made in achieving a first contract. 

Atlantic Theater Company has just released the following statement:  "Unfortunately, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) has decided to strike against Atlantic Theater Company. As a result, we are forced to postpone our productions of Grief Camp and I’m Assuming You Know David Greenspan.

Atlantic has been working together diligently with IATSE for months to create a fair contract for our crew workers and we have offered a good faith agreement with nearly a 20% increase in wages and other benefits. Recognizing how long a first contract can take, Atlantic offered two interim agreements over the past two months that included 13% increases in wages and health, effective immediately in return for a no strike agreement while we continue to bargain in good faith. Both of these offers were ignored.

We believe equity on our stage is crucial and our offer aligns with our contract with Actors’ Equity Association. IATSE believes this is unacceptable and wants more. In addition, the union is attempting to expand its work jurisdiction beyond the theatrical productions.

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.  

Atlantic is pro-union and works collaboratively with several other unions, but we have to make this agreement financially sustainable for everyone or we will not be around to offer any work to anyone. Our hope is that IATSE will reconsider the stance it is taking and work with us to reach a fair contract for our production crew quickly."

IATSE has responded, sharing "The Union remains committed to reaching a fair deal for the workers who make Atlantic Theater’s productions possible.

The strike follows several months of negotiations that began after the Atlantic crew voted nearly unanimously to unionize with IATSE in February 2024. Despite months of efforts and good-faith proposals from the union, management has consistently stalled progress and made unilateral demands on working conditions. The union has filed unfair labor practice charges against Atlantic Theater surrounding many matters that have arisen during that time. The parties recently met on January 10 and 12. On January 12, the Atlantic Theater Company management demanded several provisions before continuing its further obligations to bargain with the union. The union initially countered the proposal, upon which management indicated they were not willing to move off their demands in full. The union continues to await a counter-proposal from the Atlantic.

The union believes this behavior from management constitutes an unlawful failure to  negotiate in good faith, which caused the union to file unfair labor practice charges with the Federal Government. These charges were a motivating factor the crew being forced to go on strike ahead of the 2:00pm Matinee. In turn, the Atlantic management chose to cancel its January 12 performances, rather than make a deal for its workers that enable the shows to go on.

“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.” The Atlantic Theater Company has benefited significantly from public funds in recent years,receiving over $4.3 million from the Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVOG) under the 2021 Save Our Stages law, as well as $205,000 in grants from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) over the past decade. These funds were intended to support arts institutions"