During the strike, the actors walked out of theaters, held parades in the streets, and performed benefit shows.

Equity received support from the theatrical community, the public, and the American Federation of Labor, and on September 6, 1919, the actors won the strike.

It also demanded extra pay when performances numbered more than eight per week, at least a two-week notice of dismissal, and that the managers cover travel and costuming expenses.

[7] On October 2, 1917, following Equity's first efforts to join the AFL, the UMPA voted to sign a standard contract that would be valid for one year and was to be used by all companies under their control.

However, by December of that year, managers were consistently violating the contract and refusing to acknowledge Equity as a legitimate organization.

Early in 1919, the UMPA dissolved and formed the Producing Managers’ Association (PMA), which continued violating the UMPA-AEA standard contract.

[8] In March, Equity membership had grown to comprise nearly 50 percent of theatre actors and there was discussion of creating a closed shop.

Most actors considered themselves superior to general "laborers," viewing themselves rather as "artists" and believed their trade was above the technique of organizing.

"[12] On July 30, 1919, the New York Times ran a story on Equity's interactions with Chu Chin Chow, a show that had been in rehearsals for weeks and was still without actors' knowledge of an opening date or their wages.

[13] Equity encouraged the cast members to stage a walkout in response to the managers' refusal to acknowledge the AEA contract.

In response, Equity President Wilson announced that the rest of the cast would not be returning to rehearsals the next day, but this also did not occur.

The New York Times emphasized the tension between the Actors' Equity Association and theatrical managers, describing this event as the beginning of "active warfare" between the two groups.

[3] The resolution passed on the first vote unanimously and the strike was in effect by 7 p.m.[3] That night, twelve famous New York theaters closed, including Shubert Playhouse, Gaiety, Astor, and 44th Street.

The managers, completely unprepared for the strike, were forced to give an estimate of $25,000 in ticket refunds that night and had to quickly find actors to replace the stars that had walked out.

It released a statement on August 11 which claimed that Equity was the enemy of both the manager and the actor because the organization prohibited both from freely engaging in contract labor, and as a result, both lost their personal liberty.

[citation needed] Marie Dressler led the newly formed Chorus Equity Association in picket lines.

The International Alliance of Billposters and Billers of the United States and Canada refused to post bills for theaters with anti-Equity managers.

On September 2, 1919, the New York Times ran a story on this event, and the article's headline read "Stagehands Now Run the Strike.

[citation needed] During the strike, the actors used a number of techniques to reach the people and pressure the managers.

In New York, hundreds of Equity members could be found outside closed theaters every night waving banners and delivering speeches about the injustices committed by the managers.

[24] One of the most famous parades occurred on Wall Street; it consisted of fifteen cars full of well-dressed, leading actresses driven by prominent actors.

[25] In order to raise money for the strike, Equity put on benefit shows at the Lexington Avenue Opera House.

[22] After receiving overwhelming support from the AFL, public, press, and unions all over the country, Equity declared victory on September 6, 1919.

The contract also decided that eight shows would constitute a full week's work and established Saturday as the official payday.

The strike had lasted 30 days and resulted in 37 closed productions, 16 prevented openings, and an estimated loss of $2 million to the theatre industry.

The creation of Equity and their successful 1919 strike broke the perceived class barrier between the actor and the industrial worker.

Equity's victory in the 1919 strike cleared doubts about the ability of actors and actresses to successfully organize.