Published on behalf of The AGMA Negotiating Committee and San Francisco Symphony Choristers Elliott Encarnación, Chung-Wai-Soong, Jennifer Mitchell, Amy Foote, Matthew Peterson, Michael Jankosky, and Morgan Balfour.
Last night, on November 15, 2024, while the San Francisco Symphony Chorus was warming up for the Fauré Requiem, SFS management sent a misleading email to patrons regarding negotiations between the Symphony and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) negotiating team and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus.
Let’s clear a few things up right away:
- The Chorus accounts for just over 1% of the Symphony’s $80.9 million budget.
- AGMA Choristers have not received a raise since 2023, nor were we made whole after pandemic-era cuts, and have been working under an expired contract since July 2024.
- Meanwhile, the Symphony’s endowment has grown substantially, from $326 million in 2022 to $336.7 million in June 2024—exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
Despite their claims of transparency, SFS Management has repeatedly refused to provide AGMA with financial information to verify its waffling claims of “financial hardship.” This refusal prompted the Union to file an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, which is now under investigation.
As for the Symphony’s claims about the state of negotiations with AGMA, here’s what has actually happened:
- On the eve of the Verdi strike in September, AGMA offered a significant one-time reduction in compensation—from $22,053 to $20,411 for this year—to settle the dispute. Management rejected the offer.
- We made every effort to avoid a work stoppage, but Management’s draconian demands left us no option but to strike. We informed Management that we were prepared to come back to the table at any time.
- Instead, Management preemptively canceled all three performances. Of the hundreds of artists, other laborers, and administrative staff involved in the Verdi performances, only the 32 AGMA Choristers lost income, while Management risked hundreds of thousands of dollars in ticket revenue.
On November 14, the day before the opening performance of the Fauré Requiem, SFS Management returned to the table with the very same pre-strike offer which they themselves had rejected in September (a 2-year agreement with cuts in year 1, and a promise to continue discussing a third year). Their offer is conditioned upon a tentative but extremely significant change to the Symphony’s dedicated Chorus budget, which they have not yet disclosed to the public. It is that same highly significant change in finances which motivated AGMA’s counteroffer for a multi-year plan; a reduction in year 1 to $21,615, a return to the 2022 rates in year two, and a modest 5% raise in year three.
Management rejected the offer and has refused to explain why such a significant forthcoming change in the Company’s financial situation could not enable them to provide their Artists raises of any kind or performing guarantees after July 2026.
The San Francisco Symphony Chorus is more than just a budget line item. We are an award-winning ensemble in our own right, and we contribute immeasurably to the Symphony’s international reputation and artistic excellence. Paying 32 Choral Artists out of 150, the lowest rates of any artist at the Symphony, is an unparalleled return on investment, which Management seems intent on squandering.
We love this music, we love our orchestra, this musical family and our incredible supporters throughout the Bay Area. That’s why we continue to show up to work and perform for our patrons, even without a fair contract.
These are pivotal moments in the Symphony’s history. We are asking the San Francisco Symphony Management to show up for us the way we show up for them.
Sincerely Yours,
The AGMA Negotiating Committee and San Francisco Symphony Choristers
Elliott Encarnación, Chung-Wai-Soong, Jennifer Mitchell, Amy Foote, Matthew Peterson, Michael Jankosky, and Morgan Balfour