Atlantic Theater Crew Strikes Following Management’s Failure to Negotiate in Good Faith

Negotiations between IATSE and the Atlantic Theater Company broke down Sunday, prompting crew members to go on strike effective immediately. 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 union believes that management's behavior 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 going on strike ahead of Sunday's 2:00pm Matinee. In turn, the Atlantic management chose to cancel its performances, rather than make a deal for its workers that would 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.”

Read more here, and click here for details about upcoming picket times and locations to show your support for these striking crewmembers!