With all the attention being given the Writer's Strike, this one's flown under the radar a bit, but Local One, the Stagehand's union, has been on strike since Saturday the 10th. Negotiations resume tonight, after a prior negotiation session last week failed to produce results. BroadwayWorld is providing pretty extensive coverage, and the New York Times has an article on the reasons behind it, but for those who're too lazy to take the links, the long and short of it is that contracts are expiring and they're calling for some redefinitions and rules changes.
In particular, current rules have it so that you must call in all stagehands working on a show each day set-up is being undertaken, but for purely logistical reasons, not all of these people are working, so the producers want permission to call only the hands they need. The union is willing to accede to this provided there's a "floor" number of stagehands to be called in, but there's disagreement over what that number ought to be. The two sides also can't agree on what constitutes a "day's work" for a stagehand, whether in a show being set up or one that's already running.
It's quite complicated. There's actually a lot more to it, so I advise anyone interested to read the links. Anyway, until this is resolved, only seven shows are open on Broadway, as their theatres operate under separate contracts from the rest.
So, what are people's thoughts/opinions on the subject?
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You know, I realized that immediately after I wrote it, and I just reported it myself. I just had way too many tabs open. The dangers of multitasking...
i guess everyone wants a stake in theater/merch sales.
i think it's all blah, really. writers do make a good portions of shows work, but they have to realize that while they do play a part, the broadcast conglomerates do call the shots. and i'm sure the same pertains to the broadway scene. i'm sure if i were in these folk's shoes, i'd probably strike, too. but then again, i'm sure i make much less than a stagehand on set of chicago or les mis.
Frankly, it is even easier to replace stagehands than writers so I find they have little bargaining power. Scabs can be found so easily. This effects New York more than anything. The glory days of musicals are over. Nowadays, it's all movies. Living in the suburbs or Los Angeles, Hollywood overshadows the situation by so much. This is true for most of the US too. A lot of southerners and midwesterners watch movies.
Besides, how many uneducated people would like to or could even afford to see a broadway musical? 80 dollars a seat is not worth it considering a nintendo DS costs 130 or an iPod 250 and can give you hours of entertainment while going to a play 2 or 3 times does not. What's worst is that there is nothing left to show off to your friends or neighbors. With that said, few people in New York may even notice the change.
In particular, current rules have it so that you must call in all stagehands working on a show each day set-up is being undertaken, but for purely logistical reasons, not all of these people are working, so the producers want permission to call only the hands they need. The union is willing to accede to this provided there's a "floor" number of stagehands to be called in, but there's disagreement over what that number ought to be.
In other words, stagehands want the off-chance of appearing on set, do absolutely no work, and get paid for it? What if the producer need only 1 stagehand and the minimum was set at 10? He'd now have to pay 10 people to do the work of 1?
Ugh. I know laborers get a lot less pay, but really, this is hardly a fair proposition.
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"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
Well, one thing that isn't really being considered is that the stagehands union doesn't just encompass the low-level labourers, it includes lighting technicians, set designers and carpenters, and other skilled trades. So it's not quite as easy to find replacements as you think.
As far as the minimum number of stagehands, that's partially a job security measure and partially to ensure the stagehands who are on call aren't being worked to the bone, as I understand it.
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BroadwayWorld is providing pretty extensive coverage, and the New York Times has an article on the reasons behind it, but for those who're too lazy to take the links, the long and short of it is that contracts are expiring and they're calling for some redefinitions and rules changes.
In particular, current rules have it so that you must call in all stagehands working on a show each day set-up is being undertaken, but for purely logistical reasons, not all of these people are working, so the producers want permission to call only the hands they need. The union is willing to accede to this provided there's a "floor" number of stagehands to be called in, but there's disagreement over what that number ought to be. The two sides also can't agree on what constitutes a "day's work" for a stagehand, whether in a show being set up or one that's already running.
It's quite complicated. There's actually a lot more to it, so I advise anyone interested to read the links. Anyway, until this is resolved, only seven shows are open on Broadway, as their theatres operate under separate contracts from the rest.
So, what are people's thoughts/opinions on the subject?
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You know, I realized that immediately after I wrote it, and I just reported it myself. I just had way too many tabs open. The dangers of multitasking...
i think it's all blah, really. writers do make a good portions of shows work, but they have to realize that while they do play a part, the broadcast conglomerates do call the shots. and i'm sure the same pertains to the broadway scene. i'm sure if i were in these folk's shoes, i'd probably strike, too. but then again, i'm sure i make much less than a stagehand on set of chicago or les mis.
Besides, how many uneducated people would like to or could even afford to see a broadway musical? 80 dollars a seat is not worth it considering a nintendo DS costs 130 or an iPod 250 and can give you hours of entertainment while going to a play 2 or 3 times does not. What's worst is that there is nothing left to show off to your friends or neighbors. With that said, few people in New York may even notice the change.
In other words, stagehands want the off-chance of appearing on set, do absolutely no work, and get paid for it? What if the producer need only 1 stagehand and the minimum was set at 10? He'd now have to pay 10 people to do the work of 1?
Ugh. I know laborers get a lot less pay, but really, this is hardly a fair proposition.
"Sometimes, the situation is outracing a threat, sometimes it's ignoring it, and sometimes it involves sideboarding in 4x Hope//Pray." --Doug Linn
As far as the minimum number of stagehands, that's partially a job security measure and partially to ensure the stagehands who are on call aren't being worked to the bone, as I understand it.