The Basement Becomes First Escape Room Under Union Contract (News)

L.A.-Area Escape Room Becomes the First One in the World with a Union Contract

The Basement provides guests with an interactive horror story. Now, with a union contract its workers have less to fear.

Los Angeles – This week, workers who guide guests through a spine-tingling immersive experience at The Basement, an LA-area escape room, have become the first escape room workers in the world to reach an agreement for a union contract. 

Two years ago, the performers at the Sylmar attraction unionized with Actors’ Equity Association, making it the first unionized escape room in the United States. Now that the workers have voted unanimously to ratify this contract, it is the only escape room in the world to operate under a collective bargaining agreement.

Escape rooms have become incredibly popular, there are 75 escape rooms offering 220 experiences within 50 miles of downtown Los Angeles. Nationwide, it has been reported that there were more than 2,000 escape rooms in 2025, up from two dozen in 2014. Nearly every major city in the world has an escape room today.

In October 2023, management for The Basement voluntarily recognized its workers desire to have union representation with Equity. Going into this negotiation, the workers’ top priorities were salaries, safety and scheduling. Major achievements were gained in all three categories.

Provisions of the contract include:
 

• Wage increases ranging from 6.8% to 15.9% 
• A signing bonus
• A guaranteed raise after a year of employment
• Scheduling protections including 4-hour shift minimum, commitment to regular days off, guaranteed advance notice on work schedules, guaranteed training/brush up shifts and more
• Media protections including both rules regarding capture and use of photos or videos, as well as appearance fees for video capture
• Increased safety provisions, ranging from mandatory cleaning of facilities, wigs and costumes to protocols about intoxicated guests
• Sick leave protections

“I am so proud that the talented performers at The Basement are now protected by the union contract they fought so hard for,” said Brooke Shields, president of Actors’ Equity Association. “Negotiating a first contract is always a challenge, and in this case, we had no other unionized escape rooms to use for a model. These workers stuck together through a long process, and seeing what they’ve achieved, I’m sure they agree it was worth it. They have made history for a swiftly growing sector of our industry.”

The award-winning escape room first opened in 2014. Three of The Basement’s four experiences utilize live performers as groups of visitors attempt to solve puzzles while working their way through an interactive horror story. The bargaining unit is approximately a dozen workers, with the workforce growing significantly larger in the busy Halloween season.

Equity is the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live entertainment. In the past few years, Equity's organizing campaigns have resulted in first contracts for Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles and Drunk Shakespeare companies across the country. Ongoing negotiations for first contracts include the 1,700 Cast Members in the Characters and Parades departments at Disneyland and the entertainers at Casa Bonita in Denver.

ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org #EquityWorks