NEW YORK, NY – 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. 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 for 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 and their workers during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Yet, Atlantic Theater has used these resources without extending the same respect and support to the workers who keep their venues running.
Atlantic Theater Company’s production workers are part of a growing movement of off-Broadway workers unionizing for better wages, benefits, safety, and working conditions. In recent years, IATSE has successfully organized workers across off-Broadway theaters, demonstrating that fair contracts are essential to ensuring a thriving arts community.
Atlantic Theater’s Board of Directors has a moral responsibility to negotiate in good faith and agree to a fair contract that allows productions to continue without disruption. The union remains ready and willing to return to the table at any time to reach an agreement that respects the rights and contributions of the crew. Despite management’s refusal to bargain fairly, the Atlantic crew has remained united in its demand for a contract that recognizes its contributions and provides the basic protections of union representation.
# # #
The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees or IATSE (full name: International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada), is a labor union representing over 170,000 technicians, artisans and craftspersons in the entertainment industry, including live events, motion picture and television production, broadcast, and trade shows in the United States and Canada.
For more information please contact:
General: comms@iatse.net
Press: press@iatse.net
Source: iatse.net
