Broadway cleaners authorize strike as contract talks stall

The workers who clean Broadway's theaters in preparation for the audiences that fill the seats each night voted June 30 to authorize a strike, giving their bargaining committee the power to call the first work stoppage by Broadway cleaners in nearly two decades if contract negotiations fail to produce a deal.

Hundreds of cleaners represented by Local 32 BJ of the Service Employees International Union gathered outside of Manhattan theaters in Shubert Alley before the vote, chanting "share the wealth" and rallying alongside elected officials as negotiations with the Broadway League remained deadlocked. Following speeches from union leaders, the workers unanimously approved authorizing a strike if a tentative agreement cannot be reached.

If negotiations continue to stall, the workers could walk off the job as soon as next week, they said.

"It's a stalemate. We're still far apart," said Christopher Repollet, a member of the bargaining committee who has worked as a Broadway cleaner for three and a half years. "They made us an awful economic offer. It really left a bad taste in our mouths."

The bargaining unit covers approximately 250 cleaners employed at 30 Broadway theaters, including venues hosting productions such as The Lion King, Wicked, Schmigadoon, Cats: The Jellicle Ball, Death Becomes Her and The Outsiders. Negotiations between 32BJ and the Broadway League, which bargains on behalf of theater owners including ATG, Nederlander, Shubert and Circle in the Square, began in early June. 

The current contract has expired, and the union says the two sides remain far apart on wages, employer-paid health insurance and pension improvements.

The Broadway League did not respond to a request for comment.

'Broadway is booming'

Union leaders argued that workers deserve a greater share of Broadway's financial success. Last season, Broadway grossed more than $1.91 billion in ticket sales while drawing 14.5 million people, according to the Broadway League. The industry also generates an estimated $14.7 billion for New York City through spending on restaurants, hotels, transportation and other businesses.

"Broadway is booming," 32BJ SEIU executive vice president Denis Johnston told the crowd before the vote. "We're talking nearly $2 billion and 14.5 million attendees last year. We're here today to demand our fair share."

The union says many cleaners, including longtime New Yorkers and second- and third-generation Broadway workers, are struggling to keep pace with the city's rising cost of living despite the industry's robust recovery from the pandemic.

"When you go to the table, then you hear that nothing's being offered and we don't have money—it's like they're not taking it seriously," Repollet told The Chief after the rally. "We're human people. We have concerns. We worry."

The cleaners are seeking wage increases that keep pace with inflation, improvements to pension benefits, stronger workplace protections and preservation of fully employer-paid family health insurance. The current contract includes employer-paid health coverage with no premium sharing, paid vacation, paid time off and a pension.

The union is also seeking improvements to paid leave, anti-discrimination protections — including language covering race-based hair discrimination — and stronger protections against retaliation for workers who use sick leave or other leave benefits.

Martha Aristizabal, another bargaining committee member and longtime Broadway cleaner, said workers deserve a more equal share of the industry’s prosperity to which they contribute. 

"They should share the wealth because we are essential workers," Aristizabal told The Chief through a translator after the rally. "Without us, they can't start a show."

Aristizabal said the contract fight has become deeply personal after years working in Broadway theaters.

"Everyone I work with is like a family," she said. "It's sad that they don't recognize the work that we do."

Johnston told workers the union would continue bargaining but made clear that members were prepared to escalate if necessary.

"Healthcare is a strike issue. Wages are a strike issue. Pensions are a strike issue," Johnston said. "This industry depends on us, and we'll shut it down if that's what it takes."