Final nails in Met deal. Now let’s see the small print.
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norman lebrecht
August 22, 2014
press release:
New York, NY (August 21, 2014) – The Metropolitan Opera and IATSE jointly announce tonight that new labor agreements have been secured with the remaining unions whose contracts had expired. Groups with new agreements include six unions represented by IATSE: Local 751 (box office treasurers), Local 764 (costume and wardrobe), Local 794 (camera operators), Local 798 (wigs, hair, and make-up), Local USA 829 (scenic artists and designers), and Local 829EE (bill poster). The Met also reached an agreement with Local 1456 (painter).
Earlier this week, the Met reached new agreements with IATSE Local One (stagehands), AGMA (chorus, principal singers, directors, and stage managers), and Local 802 (orchestra musicians and librarians). On July 31, the original contract deadline, the Met reached new agreements with Local 32BJ (ushers, ticket takers, cleaning staff, porters, security guards, and office service workers), Local 210 (call center), and Local 30 (building engineers).
IATSE International President Matthew Loeb commented, “While cost savings are comparable to other agreements reached, the terms and conditions agreed upon this evening vary greatly. These six agreements were crafted to meet the needs of our members and the Met.”
Not sure how this is going to appear because this page layout is radically different from all the others.
The spin has already started. Musical America has this on the front of its report on the settlement –
“The Met Opera has made no official comments on the specifics of the contract terms reached with AGMA and Local 802 of the AFM early Monday morning, or with IATSE early Wednesday. Union representatives, however, have been happy to speak to the facts, no doubt because they are largely favorable to their camp.
“General Manager Peter Gelb was seeking cuts of up to 18 percent and instead got 3.5 percent. He had wanted to cut benefits and change union work rules and was unable to do either. Perhaps most indicative of the unions’ victory is the installation of an independent auditor, answerable to both the unions and Met management, to assure that the company’s runaway expenses don’t continue. Since Gelb’s arrival as GM in 2006, the Met’s budget has mushroomed by $100 million to $326 million. Financial oversight was among the 15 labor unions’ biggest concerns.”
In one issue, the report is incorrect. The cut of 3.5% is later to be followed by a further 3.5%. One wonders how Met spinmeisters will trumpet their ‘victory’!