Since July, the union and the League have been in rigorous contract negotiations, which came to a stand-still in late October when both sides proposed their "final offers." Local One, which has been operating without a contract since negotiations began, was toldFriday by its parent union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, to begin the walkout on Saturday.

Broadway producers have proposed loosening rules on when stagehands are needed for work, how many are needed and what tasks they are allowed to perform. The union has countered that any alterations made to the rules that would mean less work for stagehands, and therefore needs to come with exchanges of equal value. This comes most into play during the expensive process of loading in new shows.