A strike has been avoided for the 100 union members who work at three major Philadelphia theaters, according to IATSE Local B29. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) union and Ensemble Arts released a joint statement on social media on Wednesday, Jan. 8 announcing a tentative agreement for theater ushers who work at the Kimmel Center, the Academy of Music and the Miller Theater. According to the union’s statement, it’s a five-year deal that includes wage increases totaling 23% over the course of the contract and includes benefits. The tentative deal also includes changes to work rules, according to the statement. The union has been working with Ensemble Arts for 24 years, the statement explained. The three theaters serve over one million patrons each year. Over the weekend, the union announced the threat to strike after 90% of the membership voted to reject a contract that was proposed by Ensemble Arts on Dec. 30, 2024. This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser.