agma “likely” to strike nyco
The American Guild of Musical Artists said in a memo to members that “given the changes that George Steel wants to make in our contract, members are advised that the possibility of a strike against New York City Opera is likely.” At issue is what AGMA characterizes as Steel’s intention to eliminate guarantees of work for chorus and production staff. [via Bloomberg News]
Any AGMA members out there willing to forward a copy of the memo to lacieca@parterre.com?
I think AGMA has outlived its usefulness. It seems it would prefer to see the company go under. Just shameful.
I hardly think that the current financial woes of NYCO can be laid at the door of the Unions – it’s (as we know) because of disgustingly bad administrative management, both by the staff and the Board. We don’t know what concessions Steele is trying to force on the Union, but the Union has already, in many previously contentious negotiations in years past, done everything it could to support its members and keep this company afloat. Perhaps after years of mismanagement, it’s actually NYCO that has outlived its usefulness.
addendum – sorry, just re-read initial report, and if it is work guarantees that are at stake, I can’t imagine anything more important for a Union to protect, so good for them.
also, on the breaking news front- villazon to have surgery and cancelling through the end of year:
NYCO is getting hit from all sides–It’ll take a miracle to survive at all.
RIP City Opera,
LONG LIVE CITY OPERA’S CHORUS???
What is the point of this? They should face the music the way Steele is facing it.
AGMA should be trying to HELP not HURT the situation. I have always had a bit of a sore spot against unions, in general. While they may offer some important benefits, they seem more than anything to just get in the way of good music making. I realize that we musicians need to be protected from being overworked and such, but when it boils down to it, I personally think that unions disrupt and hinder the creative processes many of us strive to maintain, not to mention how they can be such nuisances when it comes to things like audio/video recordings and “overtime.”
From Bloomberg: “The memo said that Steel seeks to eliminate a guarantee of 26 weeks of work for the chorus, pay chorus singers only when they are working, reduce medical coverage and eliminate production staff guarantees of work.”
I know that when I don’t show up to work, I don’t get paid. I understand the plight of the chorus and orchestra, but getting paid for weeks when there is no work just doesn’t seem right in this current economic climate when many folks are having to make concessions at the workplace and their lives.
Marchesa: I don’t think the “not showing up for work” analogy works. The previous administration at NYCO signed these contracts after bargaining with AGMA. It is not AGMA’s fault that the NYCO board closed down the theater for a year and failed to find sufficient alternative performance opportunities. It is further not AGMA’s fault that Mortier’s season fell through.
What NYCO is supposed to be paying for is the availablility of a trained and skillful group of artists. The “trained and skillful” part means that NYCO can get up a large number of standard repertoire pieces with minimal rehearsal; it also means that when a new work or production is introduced, the chorus and orchestra can be expected to learn these pieces quickly and reliably.
As it happens, because of the massive backlog of bad planning he inherited, Steel can put together only truncated seasons for a year or two, and, as such, he has no immediate need for these artists. Since the contract the company agreed to doesn’t suit his current needs, he wants to try to break that contract. And somehow it’s “the unions” who are at fault for insisting that an agreement be fulfilled.
Someone at NYCO needs to take a trip across the Plaza and take in a performance of Das Rheingold. It’s a very informative piece about what happens when one breaks contracts.
The only reason that AGMA is being so hard nosed with NYCO is because they want to ruin the premiere of Hugo Weisgal’s Esther. This a is a disgrace as all of us who love Weisgal’s music can attest. His Nine Rivers from Jordan is considered the nadir of American opera but for the six of us who did not leave the theatre after act 1 his music is so glorious, so melodic and dramatic. Beloved Hugo you are our God!!!!