8/10/2023 – The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) is pleased to announce that the Artists of the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir have voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionizing with AGMA. Since its formation over six years ago as the resident choral ensemble of the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philadelphia Symphonic Choir has rapidly established itself as the premier chorus for symphonic works, drawing some of the best choral singers from the region and the country. “Many of us join a choir for the sense of community it provides, and it’s inspiring how this community has shown up for each other time and time again through this arduous process," the unionizing artists said in a statement. "It’s been a long road, bu... Read More -->

The 2023 NYC Labor Day Parade is Saturday, September 9! The parade kicks off at 10:00 a.m. ET at Fifth Avenue & 44th Street. AGMA members in the area are invited to walk with AGMA leadership, staff, and fellow members in the parade. Please fill out this form by September 7. This way, AGMA can plan for your arrival and make sure we have enough AGMA buttons to go around. AGMA's meeting location is East 44th Street between Madison Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue. Arrive around 9:15 a.m. ET to get organized! Members who have AGMA swag are encouraged to wear it to the parade! Looking for a parade closer to you? The AFL-CIO has set up a Labor Day event database; however, these are only AFL-CIO-speci... Read More -->

On August 7, Starbucks Workers United wants supporters to “adopt” a non-union Starbucks store to support workers in their organizing efforts. According to their website, "adopting" a store simply means holding a small flyering action to engage customers and passersby in the campaign through in-person connections. "August 7 is just the first of a series of national days of action to activate customers and allies to hold Starbucks accountable and demand the company lives up to its progressive values. Together, we’ll send the message that we won’t let up until Starbucks quits union busting and starts respecting worker rights!" Sign-up to adopt a Starbucks store near you HERE. ... Read More -->

The new collective bargaining agreement between AGMA and Pittsburgh Opera was approved by AGMA leadership, after being overwhelmingly ratified by the shop. Thank you to the negotiating committee, and congratulations on this 2-year agreement! CONTRACT HIGHLIGHTS COMPENSATION AND OTHER BENEFITS: Across-the-board increases of 3% in the first year 5% in the second year for Principals, 4.5% for Production Staff, 4% for all other Artists Up-front payment for soloists Paid sick leave for hourly and per-performance artists, including for missed performances (per-performance minimum or 25% of fee for principals, whichever is greater) Nine-hour day for Stage Managers, 11-hour turnaround time Reimbursement of up to... Read More -->

Support the workers of GMG Union and Onion Union in their efforts to safeguard the integrity of journalism and protect their rights. SEND A LETTER to G/O Editorial Director Merrill Brown, Deputy Editorial Director Lea Goldman, and CEO Jim Spanfeller, urging them to immediately halt their current hostile deployment of AI for content generation. It takes two minutes! The dedicated workers of GMG Union and Onion Union, representing renowned platforms such as The A.V. Club, Deadspin, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, The Onion, Quartz, The Root, and The Takeout, are unwaveringly opposing G/O Media's use of AI to produce editorial content. Your support and voice in this matter will undoubtedly contribute to the cause and make a... Read More -->

WATCH ON VIMEO Approximate Transcript of President Hanlon’s First Report Originally presented on June 20, 2023 at the AGMA Board Governors June meeting Good afternoon! I’m Ned Hanlon, and it is an HONOR to deliver my FIRST report as AGMA President. I want to officially welcome AGMA’s Board of Governors to this new term. Whether you are new or returning leaders of AGMA, I want to thank you for volunteering your time, expertise, and unique skillsets to our union’s members and the betterment of the Union. And to ALL AGMA members who may be watching or reading these remarks today, thank you for entrusting me with this privilege; I will not let you down. With the new leadership officially installed, it’s time... Read More -->

SAG-AFTRA members will join Writers Guild of America (WGA) members on the picket lines for the first time in 63 years as part of a historic labor battle. United in our commitment to creativity, compassion, and excellence, AGMA expresses our unwavering solidarity with the members of SAG-AFTRA. In these times of uncertainty and union busting, AGMA joins the Hollywood Unions and Guilds in their fight for a fair and equitable contract. We echo the recent joint statement and call on the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) to respect their workers and negotiate in good faith. We extend our support and respect to all impacted by the strike. Your selfless dedication will not go unnoticed. Your artistry enha... Read More -->

On June 28, AGMA shared a social media update on what’s been happening at Central City Opera this summer, including that we have a number of pending grievances and have filed 5 Unfair Labor Practices. We’d like to expand on some of that now. CCO has illegally subcontracted dancers. Dancers are covered under our CBA – every dancer hired by CCO should be on an AGMA contract. These dancers are not. In bargaining, CCO tried - and failed - to get the right to subcontract bargaining unit work included in their management rights proposal. We defeated that in bargaining and limited their right to subcontract, permitting sub-contracting to only non-AGMA positions; like if they wanted to subcontract their accounting department. D... Read More -->

In June, AGMA announced the Union’s new president, officers, and governors, and now, following a Board election, the Standing Committees have been filled. Like many unions and organizations, the AGMA Board of Governors has delegated some of its functions to committees. AGMA’s committees do an incredible amount of work each month to help the Union function. Set forth in the Constitution, the six Standing Committees of the AGMA Board of Governors are: Executive Council Administration and Policy Work Rules and Contracts Membership and Member Relations Finance and Budget Personnel The committees are places for more focused and expert discussions on important issues before those issues are raised to the full Bo... Read More -->

The AGMA Staging Staff Caucus will host its first PUBLIC meeting Monday, July 10, at 9:00 p.m. ET. For those who might not know, the AGMA Staging Staff Caucus is made up of AGMA Directors, Choreographers, Stage Managers, and all their Associates and Assistants, so this event is open to both AGMA members and non-members who work in those Staging Staff roles across the dance and opera/concert industries. The evening will feature an “Ask Us Anything” panel made up of AGMA Directors, Choreographers, and Stage Managers. Participants will also be able to ask exploratory questions; for example, a theatre Stage Manager might want to ask a dance Stage Manager what their day-to-day is like. AGMA members: feel free... Read More -->