President Adam Krauthamer has sent a letter to Local 802 members condemning Lincoln Center’s Restart Stages.

Krauthamer, who has been outspoken about the Metropolitan Opera’s lockout is now taking aim at Lincoln Center due to the lack of contracts with unions.”

In the letter, Krauthamer said, “Most of you know that Lincoln Center is producing a series called Restart Stages, which includes performances at Damrosch Park. The problem is that Lincoln Center — even though it controls the money — is refusing to act as the employer of its musicians. Instead, it’s sending out non-union contracts to our members and forcing musicians to negotiate directly with bandleaders and music directors. This shirking of responsibility means that there’s no union agreement or pay scale for Restart Stages.”

He added, “The current recovery is very fragile. We need maximum support from arts institutions such as Lincoln Center, which is home to some of the largest employers of musicians in NYC. Money is flowing into NYC through the American Recovery Plan, and Lincoln Center is one of the beneficiaries. At this time more than ever, musicians need support — including a guarantee of fair wages and benefits…. To put it bluntly: Lincoln Center has the responsibility, the duty and the moral obligation to pay area standards and assume the role of direct employer of musicians — instead of deflecting this requirement.”

Krauthamer was recently at the “We are the Met” and criticized General Manager Peter Gelb noting he is not the Met. Local 802 is the largest local union of professional musicians in the world and represents such orchestras as the Met Opera Orchestra and New York Philharmonic.