Broadway Unions Explained: Equity, Local 802, IATSE and More

Almost everyone who works on a Broadway show belongs to a union. The actors, the musicians in the pit, the stagehands who run the show, the wardrobe crew, the box office staff, the ushers, and the directors all have unions or guilds that negotiate their contracts.

Here's a plain-English guide to the major Broadway unions and what each one does.

Why is Broadway unionized?

Theatre work has always been irregular: short contracts, long hours, and frequent travel. Over the last century, theatre workers organized to set minimum pay, safety rules, health and pension benefits, and fair working conditions. Today those contracts are negotiated with The Broadway League, which represents producers and theatre owners.

Actors' Equity Association

Actors' Equity represents stage actors and stage managers. Founded in 1913, it's one of the oldest performing arts unions in the country. Its 1919 strike is one of the landmark moments in our history of Broadway activism.

American Federation of Musicians Local 802

Local 802 represents professional musicians in New York City, including Broadway pit orchestras. It's one of the largest musicians' locals in the country.

IATSE: stagehands and crew

The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, known as IATSE, represents behind-the-scenes workers through many local unions. On Broadway, that includes:

• Local One, the stagehands who build, load in, and run the show.
• Local 764, the theatrical wardrobe union.
• Local 798, hair and makeup artists.
• Treasurers and ticket sellers, ushers, and other front-of-house workers, through their own IATSE locals.

IATSE also represents scenic, costume, lighting, and sound designers through United Scenic Artists Local 829.

Stage Directors and Choreographers Society

SDC is the union for professional stage directors and choreographers. It negotiates the contracts that cover the people who shape a production's staging and movement.

Other unions you may hear about

• The Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers (ATPAM), for press agents and company and house managers.
• The Dramatists Guild, a professional association for playwrights, composers, and lyricists. Writers are typically treated as independent creators, so it isn't a traditional union.

How unions connect to the Broadway nonprofit world

Broadway's unions helped build its charities. Actors' Equity created Equity Fights AIDS in 1987, which later merged into Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. Union members also rely on the Entertainment Community Fund for health care and emergency help. See how they all fit in our guide to Broadway nonprofits.

Where Broadway for Democracy fits

Unions are one of the ways Broadway workers take part in shared decisions. Voting is another. Broadway for Democracy is a nonpartisan nonprofit that helps theatre workers and fans register and vote, wherever their work takes them, including on national tours. We never tell anyone how to vote.

Frequently asked questions

What union do Broadway actors belong to?

Actors' Equity Association, which also represents stage managers.

What union do Broadway stagehands belong to?

IATSE Local One represents Broadway stagehands in New York.

Are Broadway musicians in a union?

Yes. Broadway pit musicians are represented by AFM Local 802.

Who negotiates with Broadway's unions?

The Broadway League negotiates on behalf of producers and theatre owners.

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