A statement from AGMA President James Odom on the Supreme Court Ruling: The recent decision from the Supreme Court in Janus v. AFSCME delivers a crippling blow to members of public-sector unions. It allows workers to enjoy the benefits of collective bargaining, contract enforcement, and union representation without taking responsibility for the funding of those activities. The flawed reasoning of forced participation in political activities, with which individual workers might disagree, is not compelling when the CWA v. Beck decision clearly exempts workers from paying any portion of dues levied by the union that are not directly related to core representational activities, such as contract negotiation and enforcement. Without t... Read More -->

It is with great sadness that we note the passing of former Chicago/Midwest Counsel Barbara Hillman on the evening of June 5.  Barbara represented AGMA Artists not just in the Midwest, but across the country for more than twenty years. In addition to significantly increasing AGMA’s strength at the bargaining table and negotiating contracts that increased the workplace protections afforded AGMA members, she also mentored many in AGMA’s elected leadership as they worked on union reform during the 1990s.  Her involvement with and concern for AGMA members in the Chicago area continued after her retirement and to the end of her life. Barbara came from a union family.  Her great-uncle, Sidney Hillman, was a founder of the Congress of... Read More -->

Minutes before expiration of their contract at midnight last Thursday, the Artists of Ailey reached a new four-year (plus one month) tentative agreement with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.  The 34 Artists (dancers and stage managers) are represented by AGMA. The new agreement provides for substantial increases in wages, benefits and other terms.  The tentative deal is subject to ratification by AGMA’s Board of Governors. During the negotiations, the Artists of Ailey sought parity with other similarly-budgeted dance companies and industry standards.  The tentative agreement substantially increases pay scales for a majority of dancers in the first year along with other improvements in various areas of the contract. “This... Read More -->