By Charles Passy 

Broadway musicians have a new three-year contract that includes what union officials say is the largest wage increase in two decades.

The labor agreement between the union, the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 FM, and producers, represented by the Broadway League trade group, calls for the musicians to receive increases of 3.5% in each of the contract's three years.

Currently, the base rate for musicians is $235.72 per performance.

The contract also includes a 23% increase in what producers contribute for the musicians' health-care costs. The increase will be phased in over three years.

"This is a big step in the right direction for the musicians of Broadway, " Adam Krauthamer, president of Local 802, said in a statement Wednesday about the contract.

The Broadway League said in a statement that it "is happy to have reached an agreement."

The contract, which goes in effect retroactively to this past March, also has a provision that allows orchestrators to serve as conductors or instrumentalists. The previous agreement had restrictions on such dual activity.

Write to Charles Passy at cpassy@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 26, 2019 20:04 ET (00:04 GMT)

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