Broadway musicians have announced their intention to strike if a new union contract is not agreed to this week.
The ongoing negotiations to keep Broadway open involve a new contract between the Broadway musicians union Local 802 AFM and The Broadway League, the official trade association for the Broadway industry. According to the union, the musicians have been working without a contract since Aug. 31, 2025.
Actors Equity, another Broadway union that represents more than 50,000 actors and stage managers, previously announced that it had reached a tentative deal with The Broadway League on Oct. 18.
In an announcement on social media Wednesday, Actors Equity said it was "putting our full support behind AFM Local 802 as they work with the League to reach a deal that averts a strike."
The last major Broadway strike occurred in 2007, when a 19-day dispute closed live Broadway shows.
A Broadway strike this time around would affect 23 shows.
Read on for the details of the dispute, when a strike might begin, what shows would be affected and more.
Local 802 AFM announced its intention to strike starting Thursday morning if an agreement is not reached with The Broadway League before then.
"The Broadway musicians represented by Local 802 AFM are going into mediation on Wednesday, Oct. 22. If we do not have a new contract by Thursday morning, we are prepared to strike immediately. We are hopeful that we can reach an agreement," the union wrote in a statement on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
In an open letter to The Broadway League, shared Oct. 1, Local 802 AFM called for a guarantee of "fair wages that reflect Broadway's success," "stable health coverage," "no change to attendance requirement," "employment and income security," and preservation of "in-house contractors."
The union said it was "willing to do whatever it takes to win these important standards."
"We are fighting for a healthy Broadway!" it added.
The union announced on Oct. 13 that it had voted to authorize a strike "if necessary" in its ongoing negotiations with The Broadway League.
"Broadway musicians of Local 802 have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike if needed, as the Broadway League continues to demand unacceptable wages and reduced jobs and benefits in the current contract talks," the union wrote on Instagram, stating that the vote was 98% in favor of strike authorization.
ABC News has reached out to Local 802 AFM for additional comment.
In a statement to ABC News, The Broadway League did not comment on specific tenants of the negotiation, but stated its determination to reach an agreement.
"Good-faith negotiations happen at the bargaining table, not in the press," the group said. "We value our musicians and we are committed to working in good faith to get a fair contract done."
In a statement announcing its intention to strike without a deal, AFM Local 802 listed the 23 shows that would be affected.
They include:
