The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) is pleased to announce that the dancers of Ballet Memphis have voted overwhelmingly in favor of unionizing with AGMA, the labor union of the finest dancers, singers, and staging staff in dance, opera, and concert choral performance throughout the United States. The National Labor Relations Board election was held on Friday, January 13, following a lengthy union-busting campaign by the employer. Given the results, Ballet Memphis management has recognized AGMA as the exclusive bargaining representative of the dancers. “Congratulations to the dancers of Ballet Memphis for winning their Union. What a tremendous victory!” said Sam Wheeler, AGMA’s National Executive Director. “The na... Read More -->

Apply for the 2023 Union Plus Scholarship by 12:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 31, 2023. Eligibility: Current and retired members of unions participating in any Union Plus program, their spouses, and their dependent children (as defined by IRS regulations) are eligible.Members of participating unions from the U.S., Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada are eligible.The applicant must be accepted into a U.S. accredited college, university, community college, technical or trade school at the time the award is issued.Awards must be used for the 2023 - 2024 school year.Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible to apply. This program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation, which is sponsor... Read More -->

Share your support for the Dancers of Ballet Memphis as they fight for their union! Unfortunately, Ballet Memphis management rejected AGMA's request for voluntary recognition and has instead hired union-busting attorneys from Littler Mendelson, the law firm that is fighting unionizing efforts at Starbucks and elsewhere and is waging the anti-union campaign at Central City Opera. AGMA has filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board for a representation election which is now scheduled for this Friday, January 13. Support among the Ballet Memphis dancers remains solid, despite management’s union-busting efforts, and we’re confident that they will win their election and become the newest AGMA signatory company.  Please show y... Read More -->

Monday, January 23 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT over Zoom The AGMA Staging Staff Caucus will host “BUILDING INDUSTRY CARE: An Open Discussion on Parents and Caregivers in Our Field” on Monday, January 23 at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT. ALL AGMA MEMBERS ARE INVITED AND ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND. All AGMA members in good standing can register here. Rachel Spencer Hewitt will lead the Zoom discussion as guest speaker. She is the founder and National Director of Programming, Partnerships, and Resources of Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL), a national organization that serves as a resource hub, community, and solutions generator for parents in the arts and the institutions who support them. Many of the discussions will surro... Read More -->

Please take a moment to share your support for the Dancers of Texas Ballet Theater (TBT) as they fight for their union! Unfortunately, TBT management has rejected AGMA’s request for voluntary recognition and has hired an outside consultant to run a union-busting campaign against their own dancers. So far that has included the usual condescending communications, misinformation, and captive audience meetings that we see in all union-busting campaigns. TBT management has also hired an attorney from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, one of the largest international law firms in the world, in an attempt to deny the artists of TBT their legal right to a union election. An NLRB hearing was held last week over the legal issue raised by TBT m... Read More -->

The grace period for AGMA members to submit their 2023 basic annual dues without late fees ends January 31. Invoices were sent on or around November 18. To remain an AGMA member in good standing, and avoid future reinstatement fees, members should submit their dues by January 31! This upcoming year is also an ELECTION YEAR for AGMA! In May 2023, AGMA members will elect National Officers and Governors to represent them on AGMA’s Board of Governors. In order to participate at all levels of the Union, members must maintain good standing status (up to date on all payments/installment plans). This means in order to vote, nominate, or run as a candidate in union elections, engage in negotiations, vote on contracts, attend caucus or committe... Read More -->

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR We hope the final few days of 2022 are kind to you and that you find some time to rest and recharge. It's overwhelming to contemplate all we've been able to accomplish this past year at AGMA. In 2022, AGMA members, supported by negotiating staff, bargained more than forty collective bargaining agreements at signatories across the country, standing together in solidarity to improve the working lives of artists and to change our industries for the better. We organized new bargaining units nationwide; the stage managers at Des Moines Metro Opera and the dancers at Saint Louis Ballet won their unions in 2022, and the dancers at Texas Ballet Theater and Ballet Memphis and the choir at the Philadelphia Orchestra wi... Read More -->

With their permission, we are sharing an email written by three Central City Opera directors that was sent directly to CCO President & CEO Pamela A. Pantos on December 10. These directors are contracted for the three 2023 productions and have written Ms. Pantos alerting her that they cannot move forward until the issues with AGMA are resolved. AGMA did not request that the directors take this action, but we support and applaud them. Thank you for this strong display of solidarity! Text: Dear Pamela, I have been wrestling with myself about our potential meeting on Monday. I find that I cannot currently, in good conscience, move forward with plans for the summer of 2023 at CCO until the issues raised by AGMA have been resol... Read More -->

AGMA members should submit their 2023 basic annual dues. Invoices were sent on or around November 18. To remain an AGMA member in good standing, and avoid future reinstatement fees, please submit your dues! This upcoming year is also an ELECTION YEAR for AGMA! In May 2023, AGMA members will elect National Officers and Governors to represent them on AGMA’s Board of Governors. In order to participate at all levels of the Union, members must retain good standing status (up to date on all payments/installment plans). This means in order to vote, nominate, or run as a candidate in union elections, engage in negotiations, vote on contracts, attend caucus or committee meetings, receive many email updates, and access MyAGMA, members must rema... Read More -->

The new collective bargaining agreement between AGMA and New Orleans Opera was approved by AGMA leadership, after being overwhelmingly ratified by the shop. Thank you to the negotiating committee and congratulations on this 3-year agreement! ALL ARTISTS Compensation and Benefits Increases of up to ~44% for certain wage rates over 3-year term of agreement Per diem on arrival for eligible Artists Extended breaks for nursing parents Rehearsal passes and discounted tickets Baggage allowances Updated dues deduction and Individual Artist Agreement, work rules, discipline, grievance and arbitration language Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; Discrimination and Harassment; Health and Safety Comprehensive... Read More -->