Met Opera Extends Lockout Deadline for Fourth Time Over Worker Contract Dispute
The Metropolitan Opera, for a fourth time, has extended its lockout deadline to Sunday, Aug. 17, and in a statement wrote "if there is no agreement, they will lock out the musicians, craftspeople and choristers."
The statement also said the Federal Mediator announced that the report of the independent analyst brought in to review the Met's finances is nearing completion.
The Met said Local 802 and AGMA's intention, as well as the Met's, is to continue to bargain in good faith until an agreement can be reached by both sides.
Negotiations between the Met, the musicians (Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians), the chorus and other members of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) will resume later this week.
Under this new deadline, workers will continue their regular duties as rehearsals are underway for the new season productions of "Le Nozze di Figaro," "La Boheme," and "Macbeth." The season begins Sept. 22.
Most of the union contracts were due to expire on July 31, with the Met threatening a lockout if they could not reach an agreement. The lockout deadline was extended for 72 hours on Aug. 1 after a federal mediator was brought into the discussions, and then extended another week while an indepedent study of the Met's finances was carried out.
The mediator, Allison Beck, called for an independent reviewer to carry out the study and produce a non-binding report for both parties.
The dispute centers on the Met's general manager, Peter Gelb, who proposed cuts of over $30 million to work contracts, claiming the Met has financial difficulties. The cuts of 17 percent would represent pay and pension cuts, health benefit contributions, and changes to work rules. Unions argue the cuts are draconian and punitive and don't address Gelb's lavish spending and miscalculations on new productions -- a deficit of $2.8 million of its annual operating budget of $326 million. A study by Local 802 AFM claims Gelb has increased the Met's operating budget by 50 percent.
Negotiations with its largest union, Local 1 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, whose members are stage hands, and nine others are also put on hold temporarily.
Three unions -- Local 32BJ, Local 210 and Local 30 -- were able to negotiate new contracts before their contacts expired.
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