New York, NY — Production workers at The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) have ratified a wide-ranging union contract covering production staff with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) by a near-unanimous margin of 112-3. The agreement, which took effect September 1, covers more than 250 employees who play a vital role in staging The Public’s acclaimed productions.
The newly ratified contract delivers meaningful wage increases and comprehensive benefits, providing long-term stability and protections for the production workforce. The agreement reflects months of constructive negotiations and establishes a foundation of sustainability at one of New York City’s most prominent nonprofit theaters.
This milestone makes The Public Theater one of the first major Off-Broadway institutions to ratify a union agreement with IATSE covering production staff. The contract not only represents a historic accomplishment for workers but also underscores the growing momentum for stronger labor standards across the theater industry.
“The new agreement is a strong step forward for all of us at The Public; it represents the care and hope of the workers and the continued evolution of The Public as a whole,” said Scenic Artist Jacob Claire. “It’s exciting to be represented by IATSE under an agreement that will help many receive insurance, begin prepping for retirement, and have a place where we can be proud to work.”
With this agreement in place, IATSE and The Public Theater move forward in partnership, setting a precedent for equity and ensuring a more sustainable future for the city’s cultural workforce.
ABOUT THE PUBLIC THEATER:
The Public Theatercontinues the work of its visionary founder Joe Papp as a civic institution engaging, both on-stage and off, with some of the most important ideas and social issues of today. Conceived over 60 years ago as one of the nation’s first nonprofit theaters, The Public has long operated on the principles that theater is an essential cultural force and that art and culture belong to everyone. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Oskar Eustis and Executive Director Patrick Willingham, The Public’s wide breadth of programming includes an annual season of new work at its landmark home at Astor Place, Free Shakespeare in the Park at The Delacorte Theater in Central Park, the Mobile Unit touring throughout New York City’s five boroughs, Public Lab, Public Works, Public Shakespeare Initiative, and Joe’s Pub. Since premiering HAIR in 1967, The Public continues to create the canon of American Theater and is currently represented on Broadway by the Tony Award-winning musicals Hamilton by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Hell’s Kitchen by Alicia Keys and Kristoffer Diaz. Their programs and productions can also be seen regionally across the country and around the world. The Public has received 64 Tony Awards, 195 Obie Awards, 62 Drama Desk Awards, 64 Lortel Awards, 36 Outer Critic Circle Awards, 13 New York Drama Critics’ Circle Awards, 70 AUDELCO Awards, 6 Antonyo Awards, and 6 Pulitzer Prizes. publictheater.org
