Ten weeks ago, we sent our first Met update. Wow. It has been a long road, but the Met AGMA Negotiating Committee’s work continues and we are happy to provide you the following update. What Happened Last Week Substantial progress on proposals to expand Artist representation and protections beyond the Opera House to outside venues and digital capturesDiscussion of basic standards for outside rehearsal spaces and travel to get to them What’s Happening This Week Continued work on comprehensive anti-racism and diversity, equity, and inclusion contractual languageDiscussion on creating an efficient, effective, and unified break structure for all ArtistsFollow up on proposals for all Met AGMA work groups Our purpose as Artists... Read More -->

We hope you all had a restful weekend and a lovely start to April. Last week, we completed our eighth week of bargaining at the Met. Our work is far from done, and so, we are committed to continuing bargaining beyond the original eight-week period. Our eighth week was something special, as we made progress on Chorister, Extra-Chorister, and Dancer Proposals and presented our comprehensive Anti-Racism and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Proposals. We are happy to report that we have made groundbreaking progress on our Anti-racism and DEI proposals including: Expanded notification and access to auditionsAnti-racist training for all individuals working with ArtistsCreation of a Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Committee made up... Read More -->

On Thursday, April 1, AGMA sent the following memo entitled "Vaccinations: A Mandatory Subject of Bargaining" to its signatory companies: TO:                  AGMA Signatory Companies FROM:            Leonard Egert, National Executive Director RE:                  Vaccinations: A Mandatory Subject of Bargaining DATE:            April 1, 2021 As COVID-19 vaccinations become more available for AGMA members and their employers, we write to notify our Si... Read More -->

[Content warning: This message contains material about sexual harassment] We write you today to provide an update on AGMA’s anti-sexual harassment efforts. Prior to the pandemic, AGMA had begun a concerted effort with OPERA America facilitated by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) in the battle against sexual harassment and discrimination in the Performing Arts. While AGMA has not stopped working to combat sexual harassment in our workplaces, unfortunately, this initiative was temporarily paused in 2020 due to an Executive Order from the previous administration which prevented FMCS from working on anti-harassment initiatives. We are happy to share with you that during the March 22 Board of Governors meeting... Read More -->

We have officially entered our eighth week of bargaining with the Met. We entered this early-bargaining agreement clear-eyed that the Met has significant financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, and we remain willing to work with the Met to help it survive this difficult time. Throughout all eight weeks, we never lost sight of the fact that the Artists are the Met, and without AGMA Artists, there is no Metropolitan Opera. It’s been a balancing act, a give and take, but we’ve continued to push the interests and needs of the Artists to the forefront of every conversation, ensuring that AGMA members who make their livelihood at the Met can continue to do so and that the Met as an institution can continue to attract and ret... Read More -->

The latest AGMA member caucus to form is dedicated to Dancers. The AGMA Dancers Caucus will serve as a forum where the Dancer members of AGMA can come together to discuss and share goals and aspirations, and lend support to fellow Dancers and other AGMA members through communicating with each other and AGMA’s elected leadership. “As Dancers, we are expertly attuned to using our bodies to communicate, but often our voices are not always in step,” read the statement from the group’s founding members. “Our hopes as we launch the AGMA Dancers Caucus are that we can provide an important space for Dancers across AGMA signatories to connect and shape debate to better represent and promote the needs of Dancers within the industry.... Read More -->

It has been one year since the 2019-20 season was canceled at the Metropolitan Opera. If you follow all of our artist-run accounts, you will see that we felt it was important to mark this tough anniversary this past Friday. We are still here, waiting for it to be deemed safe for us to return to the house we love and the art form to which we have dedicated our lives. While we look forward to the light at the end of the tunnel, we must also look back and remember the members of the Met Opera Family we have lost to COVID-19. We remember Antoine Hodge, Extra Chorister; Vincent Lionti, Violist; Elijah Moshinsky, Stage Director; and Joel Revzen, Assistant Conductor as we move forward toward reopening. Our collective grief for these amazing so... Read More -->

The horrible acts of violence in the Atlanta area appear to be part of an abhorrent trend. The indisputable pattern and documented rise in Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate crimes this past year is something no group should have to endure. AGMA extends its deepest condolences to the loved ones of the eight people who perished and to the AAPI community in Atlanta and beyond. AGMA commits to solidarity with all of the AAPI community—our country must address anti-Asian racism on every level. NOW. This must stop. ... Read More -->

Friday marked one year since the Met announced its closure during a musical rehearsal of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. It was only meant to be a “short intermission,” but it swiftly morphed into the pandemic juggernaut that decimated our beloved performing arts community. Not even during the pandemic of 1918 was the Metropolitan Opera closed for this long of a stretch. Not one day since then can be defined as “easy.” Even the lighter days have a heaviness to them, because so much of our futures and careers remain in flux, unknown, uncertain. What we do know is that we are fighting for a better Met and a better industry at large. We will NOT return to the same industry we left, in a number of ways. In a recent statement, AGMA wrote �... Read More -->

It is difficult to properly reflect on something we are still very much living through. Last spring brought with it change, deep loss, and isolation we never knew before. But it didn’t take away our passion or resolve. AGMA Artists gave new meaning to the word “perseverance,” enduring through the loss of work and income, changes in their location, facing the unknown, and more. Resilient and innovative, AGMA Artists have proven that powerful Art can be created from anywhere, and continually reach people who need it most, as long as there is deep meaning and heart behind the work. Yes, we are still in this heartbreaking and financially devastating standstill. Tomorrow will be one year and one day, then one year and two days...and... Read More -->