BROADWAY STRIKE

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29222, 4 June 1960, Page 13

BROADWAY STRIKE

Negotiations To Be Resumed ' (Rec. 10 pjn.) NEW YORK. June 3. Striking Broadway actors were scheduled to resume negotiations with producers today but neither side was hopeful that It would result in turning on the lights in New York’s theatreland by tonight Twenty-two of the city’s shows, many of them hits, failed to go on last night for the first time in 41 years. The shutdown was caused by a rolling strike campaign by Actors’ Equity after a breakdown in negotiations with the League of New York Theatres, representing producers and theatre owners, over new salaries and working conditions.

The league in shutting down the theatres carried out its avowed policy that a strike by the actors: •gainst one particular theatre

meant a general shutdown. It had been‘obvious late in the afternoon that the Broadway blackout would begin last night when the Mayor (Mr Robert Wagner) announced that an 11th hour attempt to settle the contract dispute, in which pensions are the chief issue, had failed. A spokesman for the producers, Mr Alexander Cohen, said: “There will be absolutely no shows until I there Is an agreement Actors' Equity is on strike. It looks eika a long one to me.”