Artists of San Francisco Opera Are Standing Together for a Fair Contract

As we enter a critical phase of bargaining, we believe it’s time to speak directly to our community.

We are the Artists on stage and behind the scenes at every performance of San Francisco Opera. We are singers, dancers, directors, choreographers, soloists, and staging staff—union members of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)—and we have been in contract negotiations with SFO management for over six months. Our most recent contract extension expired on April 30, 2025. 

We’re Fighting For:

• Wage increases that reflect the cost of living in the Bay Area and equity across work groups
• Greater transparency in hiring practices and retention of world-class artists in SF
• Predictable and reasonable scheduling
• Adequate staffing of Artists on and off-stage

Where We Are Right Now:

(Updated: July 2, 2025) The Arts are struggling nationwide, but ticket sales and new donors show exciting opportunities for San Francisco Opera to build on its 200-year legacy. The Artists who bring every performance to life are tired of watching their compensation fall further behind the cost of living, and tired of being asked to bear the brunt of every budget cut while continuing to give their all on stage and behind the scenes.

We’ve been negotiating in good faith for half of the year, reaching 44 tentative agreements on important non-economic topics. We’ve studied financials, asked thoughtful questions, and offered collaborative solutions. Our goal is to keep San Francisco Opera strong and sustainable for years to come. 

All the while, management continues to cite financial hardship…even as the overall company budget expands. Management has “previewed” a reduced contract term, from the usual four years to two, with plans to reject our COLA (Cost of Living Adjustment) proposal entirely. This is a significant step back from our overall economic proposal, which was structured around a variable COLA of 2.5% to 5% annually, and the four-year term that AGMA and San Francisco Opera contracts have largely followed in recent memory.

We’ve continued to meet and hope to have more dates throughout July as we work toward our mutual goal of reaching a deal before the fall season.

What This Means for Artists at SFO:

• It’s becoming increasingly difficult to survive as a working Artist in the Bay Area.
• The cost of living continues to rise, but our wages haven’t kept pace. Management’s “previewed” refusal to include any Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in this contract, paired with a shortened contract term, makes it even more challenging to plan for the future.
• We’re being asked to give more while being paid less in real terms. That’s not sustainable—for us or opera.
• We love this company. We want to keep building a strong, world-class opera. But that starts with a fair contract that reflects the reality of living and working in San Francisco.

If you’d like to get in touch with the SF Opera AGMA Negotiating Committee or share a message of support, please contact us at sfonegscommittee@gmail.com.