(Credit: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) AGMA has released details to the Metropolitan Opera & AGMA bargaining deal that will see pay cuts for soloists, dancers, and chorus members. The union announced that all pay cuts would be effective through July 31, 2024 and would be non negotiable. Rate reductions for every group except per performance soloists will be 2.7% {…}
After writing my initial article at the beginning of January 2021 regarding the conflict at the Met, I found that a lot of readers had little understanding of what was actually going on. How come the Met workers have been deprived of their sources of livelihood for months, and then, why didn’t they want to accept General Manager Peter Gelb’s {…}
Every Friday, Polina Lyapustina delivers a short essay on some of the most sensitive topics in the industry with the intent of establishing a dialogue about the opera world and its future. The last few weeks were noisy on the battlefield between Gelb and the unions representing the rights of the Met Opera workers: Peter Gelb continued unveiling future plans for Metropolitan {…}
American Guild of Musical Artists President Ray Menard has written an open letter for newly-inaugurated President Biden and Vice President Harris, calling upon them for much-needed relief in the performing arts industry. In his letter, Menard wrote, “It has never been just about ‘dinner and a show. It is ‘the United States Economy and a show,’ as the Performing Arts {…}
AGMA has released a statement in response to the recent lockout by the Metropolitan Opera against Local One stagehands. The Union said, “As an affiliate of the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local One stagehands do not stand alone in the lockout by the Metropolitan Opera. All of the affiliates – {…}
The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) has revealed that it will hold a Constitutional Referendum on Monday, Nov. 16, 2020. Per a press release, this is the first time in many years that the organization’s Constitution could potentially get an update. The aim of the rewrite is to improve AGMA’s governance, increase the organization’s transparency, and make the foundation {…}
The Soloist Coalition has fully endorsed the member proposed Amendments (MPA), which will be voted on by AGMA this month. The MPA outlines reforms for AGMA’s board and executive and notes that the rights of members are finally added to the constitution, notably protections for freedom of speech, anti-discrimination, and access to information. The Soloist Coalition believes the MPA represents {…}
(Credit: JoeBiden Official Website) The AGMA Soloist Coalition has officially asked The Board of Governors of American Guild of Musical Artists to endorse Joe Biden for President of the United States and Kamala Harris for Vice President of the United States. By means of a petition, the Soloist Coalition, which has already endorsed Biden and Harris, is asking AGMA to {…}
The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) have announced that they have engaged the services of medical experts to assist with COVID-19 safety planning and ensure that their members are protected. The two unions will work with Dr. Mark Cunningham-Hill, Dr. Laura S. Welch, and Dr. Stephen J. Anderson, who have experience in {…}
Over the weekend, a number of opera companies, orchestras, concert halls , and guilds used their social media accounts to take a stand and support the #BlackLivesMatter movement amid ongoing nationwide protests after the the death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers. On Sunday May 31, the Lyric Opera of Chicago stated, “We stand in support of {…}
The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), alongside nearly 50 other entertainment industry unions and organizations, sent a joint letter to Congress to update the CARES Act. In the letter directed to Speaker Pelosi, Leader McConnell, Leader McCarthy, and Leader Schumer, union leaders summarize the ways the CARES Act has fallen short in assisting members of the entertainment community and {…}