First AGMA (American Guild of Musical Artists) settled and now IATSE (International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees). While neither side in the agreement has released information about the deal, the folks over at OperaWire.com have an inside source that says Met General Director Peter Gelb fell far short of the cuts he went to war over.
Per information supplied to OperaWire, the agreement was struck early on Saturday morning and includes a three percent wage cut and a 4 1/2 percent annuity cut for three years. There will also be a lump sum payment equal to eight weeks of bridge pay as well as several other concessions on both sides, per the source.
The only other major union to settle is the AFM (American Federation of Musicians) and while that agreement could fall into place at any time, the history of Gelb’s pandemic labor war tactics dictate it’s better not to assume.
The Associated Press published an article on 1/28/2021 by Ronald Blum that examines The Metropolitan Opera's finances. Nutshell: they saw the same drop in…
