Dear AGMA Artists:
This marks our third “Met Negotiation Update” from the Met AGMA Negotiating Committee. We are happy to report that during this past week of negotiations with the Met, we made significant progress on several important proposals:
- Guaranteed minimum number of stage managers
- Expanded Long Term Disability Coverage for soloists
- Artists’ use of media clips for promotional and educational purposes
- Increased sick leave for Staff Performers
Today we enter our third week of bargaining. This week we will keep pushing for our proposals, which include:
- Artist protections and representation in all Met productions
- Updated Media Agreement to reflect streaming practices
- Safety protections on air quality, sufficient rehearsal, proper supervision, changes to lighting effects, and non-retaliation for voicing safety concerns
- Re-structured soloist contracts with increased payment upon arrival
As we noted in our last email, throughout our bargaining period, we will have days devoted to different work groups at the Met. Last week, we focused on the specific concerns of Stage Directors. This week we will focus on Dancers. Our Dancers’ proposals include:
- Increasing job security, retention, and equitable representation
- Improving the culture and organization of the Dance Department
- Protections for dancers who miss time for pregnancy or catastrophic injury
- New Audition Protocols that are respectful, fair, and accountable
Met Dancer Shay Bland recently said, “We must work to expand opportunities for both current and future Dancers of the Met to preserve and elevate the level of professional excellence our audiences expect and deserve." “OUR audiences.” The Artists are the Met. We must never forget this as we continue through this difficult and emotionally draining process. We are doing this work for the Artists of the Met, and for the Artists all around the country and globe. And so, we press on, and we will be back in touch with everyone next Monday. Thank you for rooting us on, and standing beside us in solidarity.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ned Hanlon, Negotiating Committee Chair, at ehanlo@gmail.com, Eastern Counsel Sam Wheeler, swheeler@musicalartists.org, or any of your delegates and committee members.
Stay Connected!
Our Negotiating Committee Communications Team will send out weekly updates on bargaining to Met Artists via email (we encourage you to forward these emails on to friends!) and through social media. To avoid email fatigue, all other AGMA membership will receive less-frequent updates than that but are encouraged to follow our Met AGMA groups on social media: @MetOperaChorus @MetOperaSupers @MetOperaBallet. These accounts are run by AGMA Artists!
In solidarity,
Your Met AGMA Negotiating Committee:
Ned Hanlon, Committee Chair; Ross Benoliel, Chorister; Richard Bernstein, Soloist; Shay Bland, Dancer; Helena Brown, Extra Chorister; Antuan Byers, Dancer; Stephanie Chigas, Chorister; Florencio Cora, Staff Performer; Lianne Coble-Dispensa, Chorister; Jōvan Dansberry, Dancer; Karen Dixon, Chorister; Anne Dyas, Staff Performer; Tobin Eason, Dancer; Ashley Emerson, Soloist; Kenneth Floyd, Chorister; Theresa Ganley, Stage Manager; Katharine Goeldner, Soloist; David Gonsier, Dancer; Katherine Hozier, Dancer; Mary Hughes, Chorister; Nathaniel Hunt, Dancer; Matthew Kernisky, Staff Performer; Jarrod Lee, Extra Chorister; Shawna Lucey, Stage Director; Megan Marino Mayes, Soloist; Brandon Mayberry, Chorister; Scott Moon, Stage Manager; Maria Phegan, Dancer; Daniel Rigazzi, Stage Director; Mark Schowalter, Soloist; Elizabeth Sciblo, Soloist Delegate; Bradley Schelver, Dancer; Marcus Shields, Stage Director; Daniel Smith, Chorister; Andrew Stenson, Soloist; Sarah Weber-Gallo, Dancer
