Stagehand union: The show may not go on

NEW YORK, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- The union that represents most Broadway stagehands voted Sunday to give its leaders authority to call a strike.

There is still hope for Broadway fans, however, since the vote does not mean a strike is inevitable, The New York Times reported.

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Local One, does not have plans to strike, it said in a statement, but James J. Claffey Jr., president of the stagehands’ local was quoted as saying a strike would begin in December if no deal is reached with the League of American Theaters and Producers.

If a strike does occur, Broadway would be effectively shut down, the newspaper said. The league, however, has ruled out a lockout.

The sticking point of the negotiations, which have been under way since July, is the producers’ proposal to loosen rules concerning stagehands’ working conditions, the Times reported.

The stagehands’ union, Local One, has never been on strike, but Broadway musicians staged a four-day walkout in 2003.

A possible strike by Broadway stagehands could cost New York $5 million a day in lost business, The New York Daily News said Thursday.