A labor union representing more than 260 cleaners, porters and bathroom attendants at about 30 Broadway theaters has agreed to a tentative three-year contract after negotiations with the Broadway League, a trade organization of theater owners and producers, both sides said on Friday.
The agreement averts the possibility of a strike that could have disrupted Broadway productions toward the end of the lucrative holiday season. Members of the union, Local 32B-J of the Service Employees International Union, voted unanimously on Tuesday to authorize such a job action if an agreement was not reached. The current contract expires Dec. 31. Exact terms of the tentative contract were not disclosed, but both sides indicated that it included improved health care coverage and pension benefits, and some pay raises. The workers now earn about $16 an hour.
Charlotte St. Martin, executive director of the Broadway League, released the following statement:
We are pleased that the Broadway League and the S.E.I.U. Local 32BJ have reached a tentative three-year contract agreement that creates a win-win for both parties. The agreement provides better access to healthcare coverage and provides for pension contributions to bolster their declining pension fund. The compensation package was fashioned to respond to the current economic climate with wage increases scheduled to begin in the second year of the agreement. We continue to support our employees represented by the SEIU Local 32BJ who have worked for Broadway for 10, 15, or even 25 years. Their longevity confirms that we are fair employers who care about the people who work for us on behalf of our industry.