The new collective bargaining agreement between AGMA and Los Angeles Opera was approved by AGMA leadership, after being ratified by the shop.
Thank you to the negotiating committee, and congratulations on this 4-year agreement!
CONTRACT HIGHLIGHTS
PRINCIPAL ARTISTS
- Advance payments for Principal Artists
- Addition of a compensated Principal Delegate
- Fee breakdown provided
PRODUCTION STAFF
- Improved working conditions
- Additional guaranteed prep time for Tier 2 productions
- Reduction in hours before OT
CHORISTERS
- Maintaining preferred hiring percentages for Choristers while also lowering some barriers for newer and traditionally underrepresented artists
- Annual increases to the ancillary fees
- Increase to unpaid leave for Choristers up to 3 days per season if performing in 4 or more productions
DANCERS
- Annual increases to the ancillary fees
- Increase in fees and rehearsal time for Swing Dancers
- Guaranteed warm-up space prior to all rehearsals and performance
COMPENSATION AND OTHER BENEFITS:
Principal Artists (including Solo Dancers)
Increase in base pay:
- 10% in 2023-2024
- 5% in 2024-2025
- 5% in 2025-2026
All other Artists
- 3% retroactive pay for 2022-2023
- 2% in 2023-2024, 2024-2025*, and 2025-2026
*The Hourly Chorus/Dancer/Principal Rehearsal rate will have a 3% increase in 24-25
Per Diem
- $10 increase in 2023-2024
- 2% in 2024-2025 and 2025-2026
Other Benefits
- Paid Orientation meeting for all Artists
- Reimbursements for costs incurred for public transport or rideshare
- Guaranteed paid leave for new parents
- COVID-19 side letter which guarantees that Artists will be compensated 100% of fees for missed work through December 31, 2023
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION (DEI):
- Annual Anti-Bias/Equity Diversity Inclusion Belonging (EDIB) training paid at the hourly rehearsal rate
- Reverse Weingarten rights
- Compensated seat for an Artist on the EDIB committee (currently $3,000 annually)
- Gender neutral terms in the CBA
- Additions of Juneteenth as a holiday
- Commitment to updating pronouns in Artist's record, and providing gender neutral lavatory and dressing room options
- Commitment to affirmatively casting Black, Hispanic, Latino/Latinx/Latine or Spanish origin or background, Asian, Indigenous, and other artists of color in roles in which the primacy of race/ethnicity is irrelevant to the narrative.
- Principals engaged through race-specific casting will be actively considered for equivalent or greater roles during at least the subsequent four seasons.
(NEW) COMMUNITY OUTREACH SECTION
Covers Artists who are performing in Community Outreach productions
- New higher pay tier for fully-staged productions
- Clarification and improvement of work rules
MEDIA
- Access for all Artists to media footage for private use
- Access for featured Artists to media footage for personal promotional use