mayday!
La Cieca has obtained a copy of the NYCO shop letter from AGMA:Â
MAY 18th at 6PM
SAVE THE DATE – TO SAVE YOUR JOB
AGMA represented artists at New York City Opera will have to make some basic decisions that, for all intents and purposes, may determine whether or not you will continue to work for NYCO and, ultimately, whether or not NYCO can survive.
We have scheduled a meeting of the entire AGMA shop for May 18th at 6 PM. The participants at that meeting will determine whether we should enter into early negotiations with NYCO or, alternatively, whether we should pursue litigation to resist NYCO’s attempt to re-open the contract.
If you determine that we should negotiate, NYCO would agree to wait to conclude an agreement with us until after it concludes its negotiations with Local 802, provided that we, in turn, agree to begin negotiations in early June and finish within 15 days following the conclusion of the 802 agreement. Our negotiations with NYCO could lead to a mutually satisfactory contract or to an impasse. If, by the 45th day following the conclusion of the Local 802 negotiations we had not reached an agreement, the contract would terminate. At that point, NYCO could impose its last and final offer to us, and we could decide to strike.
It is highly unlikely that NYCO could survive a strike by AGMA. Although we all share the hope that we will be able to find a way in which to assist NYCO’s resurrection, members will ultimately have to determine whether to tolerate working under a terrible contract or force NYCO to choose between maintaining our current guarantees or go out of business.
Although AGMA will do everything possible to assure that our members do not suffer because of decades of mismanagement, given the changes that George Steel wants to make in our contract, members are advised that the possibility of a strike against NYCO is likely.
In his first year, with only five operas, these are Steel’s plans: Eliminate the 26 week guarantee of work for the chorus; reduce the size of the chorus; eliminate the continuity of employment and, instead, pay choristers only when they are working; reduce medical coverage and eliminate paid family coverage, eliminate weekly soloists; eliminate Associate Chorus recall rights; eliminate production staff employment guarantees, reduce the number of production staff members and reduce the work available to whichever production staff members remain.
As you all know, the ultimate question for any union and its members is whether to work under an employer-imposed contract that eliminates previously hard-won guarantees, protections and financial and professional rewards or, instead, to engage in a job action that has the likelihood of closing down the employer forever. As we’ve said, it is unlikely that NYCO can survive an AGMA strike and the attendant negative publicity that will impact projected ticket sales.
For those of you who think of your work at NYCO as a full time job, George Steel has said that, if he has his way, employment at NYCO would no longer be sufficient to constitute full time work.
….
This meeting is your opportunity to help determine the future of work at NYCO and the continued existence of NYCO itself. . If you don’t attend, don’t complain about the result.
To support my correct assertion that 6 figures barely equals middle class in New York, I will give you recent numbers from Center for an Urban Future in a report that was quoted on US News in February of this year:
“A PERSON LIVING IN MANHATTAN NEEDS TO EARN $123,322 A YEAR TO BE CONSIDERED MIDDLE CLASS, the equivalent of a $72,772 salary in Boston and a $50,000 salary in Houston, the study says.”
So, the amount one needs to make to even be considered part of the middle class is substantially MORE than I initially said. In other words, the low six figures does not equal middle class in New York City. Has this been made clear enough for the detractors now? Thank you.
Here is a link to the article:
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/luxe-life/2009/2/9/it-takes-6-figures-to-be-middle-class-in-new-york-city.html
I will also point out, just so it will be abundantly clear for anyone who still doesn’t understand, that by the figures above, the Met chorus, the highest paid chorus in the nation whose members initially make in the low 100’s, would be considered low class income, in fact, substantially so. The greatest, largest, most powerful opera house in the country pays a LOW CLASS INCOME to its chorus members.
By this and any other New York standard, the NYCO chorus couldn’t even be called poverty level. NYCO chorus makes in the thirties, and that’s the regular, core chorus. Staff members make less.
Got it?
Cassandra:
As a native New Yorker…and as someone who has lived in all five boroughs at one time or another–yea, NYC is a VERY e xpensive city, no question at all about that.(not as mind-boggling over-priced as San Francisco, though)..but Manhattan isn’t the be-all/end-all –even for a performer—though Brooklyn by and large priced itself out-in “trendy” areas-large swatches of the other boroughs are still affordable for an individual making WELL under $100,000–and I still contend your numbers have little bearing on reality–
“and I still contend your numbers have little bearing on reality–”
Which numbers? Every number I’ve stated is correct. Little bearing in reality? Really? When they are right there in front of your face? Um, okay.
I don’t know… if the money situation at NYCO is this extreme, it’s time to either big star singers to do a massive fundraiser, or perhaps fold the tents. I would hate to see that company cease to exist but if they have no money how can they continue?
They have no money… and now even less integrity or artistic merit…… die, and be born again!!!!
Cassandra:
your smarminess, in this,and just about every other matter you shriek about (whether or not there;s even a scintilla of truth in what you screed) brings to mind Mary McCarthy’s slam against Lillian Hellman..”EVERY word she says is a lie…including..”the” and “and”..”
Sorry..that’s the way you come across….