No joke: Comedians may strike

The pay’s a joke, and it’s not funny anymore -- New York comedians have had enough of working for what they describe as peanuts and are threatening to walk out if the city’s top stand-up comedy clubs don’t raise their wages.

Comics Ted Alexandro and Russ Meneve have rounded up more than 300 funny men and women to form the New York Comedians Coalition, and they have sent a letter to the city’s top comedy venues demanding a raise.

The bottom line is that $60 to $75 for a weekend set is not enough to survive, while the weekday rate of $15 to $25 for a 20-minute set is beyond a joke, Alexandro says.

“We’ve been making the same wage since 1985,” he says.

“A comic working 12 to 14 shows a week grosses barely over $20,000 a year from the New York clubs,” says Alexandro, a regular at top clubs such as Caroline’s on Broadway, adding that he resorts to touring and corporate engagements.

New Year’s Eve is the biggest comedy night of the year, with some clubs setting cover charges of up to $100, yet the comedians can expect to make little more than $100, or $250 as master of ceremonies, Alexandro says. “I’m going to be out of town because that’s where we make our money.”

The comedians say admission and drink prices have soared in the last 20 years while their pay has barely changed.

Chris Mazzilli, a former comic who owns the Gotham Comedy Club, says the economics are not so simple; he pays for six or seven comedians plus an emcee on a weeknight when he can’t be sure of filling his club with 130 or so covers.

“Clubs cost a lot of money to run. New York City is different: Your rent factor is much higher and your insurance is much higher,” Mazzilli says, adding that he agreed to raise his rates by $10 as a result of the letter.

Mazzilli and several other club owners have agreed to open negotiations in January with the comedians, who say they are willing to do whatever is necessary, including going on strike.