Union contracts at the Metropolitan Opera are due to sunset on Thursday.

The Met's general manager, Peter Gelb, has announced cuts of over $30 million to work contracts because the Met is in financial difficulties. The cuts would represent pay cuts, pension cuts, health benefit contributions and changes to work rules. Unions argue the cuts are draconian and punitive and don't address Gelb's expensive new productions and lavish spending and miscalculations.

In frustration, the international president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents six locals with 800 workers at the Met, wrote to the Met board hoping to "expand the dialogue in deliberations."

"[T]his overarching spirit of partnership, born of a love for the Met and the work we do, that has inspired us to achieve the expanded production demands of Peter Gelb's vision for Grand Opera. We have worked to achieve this vision and do not fault the fact that the arrow of his aspirations may have sometimes fallen short of their financial mark, given his awareness of the increased production costs and the concomitant need for overtime that would be induced under the terms of our existing contract," wrote Matthew D. Loeb, the international president of IATSE.

"But we take profound exception to the singular focus on our livelihoods as the 'solution' for addressing the financial challenges facing the Met that have been created in part by these aspirations. Not only because that singular focus is unjust, but because it is far too narrow in scope as a strategy for saving the Met."

Met employees include the orchestra, the chorus, ushers, matron, security and six locals under IATSE, representing 800 backstage and customer service workers. Local 1 represents skilled craftsmen who are experts with carpentry, lighting, sound, props, sets and building construction. Local 764 includes costume shop employees who create the costumes, along with dressers who assist the performers with their costumes. Local 751 are the workers who most frequently interact with the public -- box office employees, such as Treasurers and Ticket Sellers. Local 798 are the artists responsible for hair and makeup. Local 794 represents technicians involved in the Met's live broadcasts. And USA 829 (Designers and Scenic Artists) represents painters as well as the designers of sets, lighting, costumes and sound.

"For all of our locals, there has been a consistent theme of cutting of work rules, conditions, benefits, including health care and retirement benefits, and it's been a very tough negotiation," said Joe Hartnett, assistant director of IATSE's Stage Department.

"Our mindset from day one has been if the Met is truly in a financial crisis, it's similar to any family who is going through economic hard times, they sit around that kitchen table and they figure out what can they do to save money. And with Peter Gelb it's just our salaries and conditions and payments and we, the workers at the Met who've made it happen for over 100 years, inherently believe everything should be on the table if you are truly in this economic crisis. And we are willing to tighten our belts a little bit, if he is willing to cut up his credit cards."

Hartnett said that during Gelb's tenure as general manager over the last eight years, the budget has grown from $200 million to $320 million; the number of new productions has doubled; the HD has grown. But based on Gelb's own figures to get more people to see opera, it hasn't been successful -- the ticket sales are down, HD has plateaued.

Hartnett said his workers make the magic happen, and they would like to make a deal and will continue to negotiate this week. The average salary of IATSE members between $70,000 and $80,000

Local 802, American Federation of Musicians and the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra musicians released a report last week in which, they claim, are the details of Gelb's failed management and flawed artistic vision of his eight-year tenure at the Met.

The Metropolitan Opera release a response to Mr. Loeb's letter, "We appreciate and understand the points made in Mr. Loeb's letter, and our intention is to work collabortively with IATSE groups to reach an agreement. It should also be noted that administration will be sharing in all agreed reductions with the unions, together with a program of other cost savings."