Negotiations between Actors' Equity and the League of American Theaters and Producers have taken an interesting turn.
League members Clear Channel Entertainment and the Nederlanders have joined with nonmembers Disney and Dodger Stage Holding to hash out their own contract with the thesp union. The old agreement expires June 27.
The request for "coordinate bargaining" had to be approved by both the league and the union.
Equity's approval read as follows:
"We approve your request solely because such orderly bargaining will benefit the industry, the city of New York, the members of Equity and all the other thousands of individuals who earn a living indirectly from live theater."
Bob Cholpak, a spokesman for the league, confirmed that org's OK. He said Clear Channel received a "one-time exception" on the upcoming Equity negotiations. The Nederlanders' request was granted under a "grandfather protection" since that producing org negotiated its own previous contract with Actors' Equity. The Nederlanders also broke from the league in fall 1999 for its current contract with the stagehands' Local 1.
In coordinated bargaining, all parties sit in on the same negotiations and, generally, the final contracts vary in minor details. It is expected that in the case of the new contracts with Actors' Equity, those differences will pertain to licensing.
Coupling no accident
The pairing of the Nederlanders and Clear Channel with the Dodgers appears to be no accident. The actors union has sought to make the proliferation of non-Equity tours the No. 1 issue in its upcoming contract negotiations, and in that effort it recently filed unfair-labor-practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against the three Broadway producers.
Equity claims that its contract with the league requires producers to divulge information regarding financial interest in, or partnership with, non-Equity companies. The union has long sought to show ties between the Dodgers, Nederlanders and Clear Channel and such non-Equity touring companies as Big League, Networks and Troika.
On Broadway, the Dodgers are the producers of "42nd Street," the Nederlanders have "Movin' Out" and "Fiddler on the Roof," and Clear Channel is a producer of "The Producers."
Past conflicts
In past labor conflicts, the league has maintained that a union cannot selectively single out a show -- a strike against one is a strike against all Broadway shows. That edict could be challenged now that some league members have resorted to coordinated bargaining in their negotiations with the actors.
Cholpak termed as "premature" any speculation on the outcome of the 2004 contract negotiations.
Clear Channel's Scott Zeiger and the Nederlanders' Nick Scandalios said they look forward to productive negotiations with Actors' Equity.
Contact Robert Hofler at
bob.hofler@variety.com