Met is officially at peace as musicians vote to ratify new contract

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New York, NY–Tuesday, September 9, 2014–The musicians of the Met Orchestra and their union, the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, announced that they have voted to ratify a new labor agreement with the Metropolitan Opera.

“Throughout this process, the musicians continued to believe that opera is alive and well here in New York City, and that with proper fiscal management, it is possible for the Met to present innovative grand opera and continue to attract and retain the top musicians in the world,” said Local 802 AFM President Tino Gagliardi. “We are proud to have helped craft an agreement that is unprecedented among arts institutions, one that allows for financial oversight and includes a mechanism for artists to collaborate in finding meaningful efficiencies. We are thankful to all those elected officials, fans, friends and colleagues who stood beside us during this process, and are eager to work on ensuring a sustainable future at the Met.” 

“No one is more concerned with the Met’s future than the musicians, choristers and craftspeople whose livelihoods depend on the Met’s survival and who are responsible for every aspect of the audience member’s experience when they come to the Met,” saidJessica Phillips Rieske, clarinetist and chair of the MET Orchestra committee. “We are thrilled that our season has been saved, and that we can get back to doing what we do best, which is to make the music come alive. We are dedicated to working collaboratively with management to find ways to achieve efficiencies that will result in real cost savings for the Met while maintaining the artistic excellence that we strive for and which our fans have come to expect from us. We are so grateful to everyone who support