Actors’ Equity approves contract

Members of Actors’ Equity have overwhelmingly approved a new four-year contract that covers Broadway shows as well as touring productions.

The contract, approved Tuesday night, increases minimum salaries on Broadway by 2% in the first year and 3% in subsequent years. It also significantly increases theater producers’ health fund contributions.

The Actors’ Equity Assn. and the League of American Theatres and Producers reached a tentative agreement on the contract July 12 after tense negotiations.

At the center of the dispute was the question of non-Equity tours, which have been gaining in number. The contract adds an “experimental touring program,” designed for musicals, that provides different tiers of compensation to reflect the economic conditions of each show that goes on the road.