Metropolitan Opera to Lock Out Stagehands as Contract Talks Stall

[unclevictor]

Anyone read this? I fear this may happen with Broadway shows when they try to reopen?

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/arts/music/met-opera-lockout-stagehands.html?smid=fb-share&fbclid=IwAR1DevdLZQzkrlNj4mziEG7DeOnPwTvzaIPveTCiKIpjZxSzCovbCA5Xe7Q

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

I'm 99% sure there will be ugly labor negotiations as we get closer to reopening. I think any rational person would understand that costs need to come down temporarily to give shows a reasonable shot at reopening and surviving. I'm guessing all the parties differ on the amount and length of any cuts. Seems to me that a cut of, say 20% for the first year back, repayable and then some from any profit, seems reasonable.

[unclevictor]

It’s sad that local 1 won’t budge and the $$ will come out of someone else’s paycheck that works there that needs that $$ more than the over paid local 1 members. Even sadder that local 1 won’t care or fight for the other union that gets screwed out of $$.

[uncageg]

Part of the contract is that they would get part of it back after ticket sales picked up and members came back. 

Agreed isjustme, I think this was to be expected. Didn't the symphony accept a contract something like this one?

[AEA AGMA SM]

It's not like they are asking for a temporary cut. By not restoring all cuts once things are "back to normal" the Met is offering a permanent reduction in pay. 

Also, though you are trying to paint Local 1 as the bad guys, note that the other unions are not willing to even enter into negotiations right now. Local 1's contract did expire this past summer and thus was due to go into negotiations this past spring, so the Met is trying to use them to then leverage against the other unions.

[Fosse76]

Until I hear that the opera singers take a big cut or that executives also drastically reduce their salaries, then it's absurd to think Local 1 should take a reduction in pay. Why should they?

[Tag]

Fosse76 said: "Until I hear that the opera singers take a big cut or that executives also drastically reduce their salaries, then it's absurd to think Local 1 should take a reduction in pay. Why should they?"

Gelb has declined his salary since March. Read the article.

[SmoothLover]

I saw this coming 5 months ago and everyone jumped all over me.

[unclevictor]

Because Fosse, they make triple the amount of $$$ than anyone else in the building and if anyone should be taking a pay cut in order for live theatre to come back, they should. It’s absurd that the guy that mops the deck makes 3 figures and the hair person working 70 hours a week makes the least amount of $$. Local 1 should take the temporary pay cut. They’re still making more $$$ than anyone else even with the pay cut

[AEA AGMA SM]

unclevictor said: "Local 1 should take the temporary pay cut."

And one of the main sticking points is that it is not a temporary pay cut. Even once the box office has "recovered" the Met wants to restore only half of what was cut. I'd be willing to bet that Peter Gelb won't be deferring any of his salary by that point.

[bwayobsessed]

Let’s be real, stagehands are some of the only people working in theatre who get paid like professionals. They shouldn’t budge. Everyone else should be getting paid more. Pressure producers and the government to be generous. Not workers. Also whoever said stagehands just mop the floor is repulsive.

[Sutton Ross]

Years ago, I went over to my friend's apartment and it was really, really nice. I wondered what her Dad did for a living because he was always gone and appeared to work 7 days a week. She told me he was a stagehand at the Met and made about $400,000 a year. I was absolutely floored. 

These people work very, very hard. A pay cut is unfair to them. 

[RippedMan]

Wow, I had no clue they made that much! I mean the actors at LCT make WAY less than even a production show on Broadway. And they're pulling in that kind of money? Wow.

[Kad]

The Met is not the same as LCT. The Met’s productions are absurdly demanding, with enormous and complicated technical elements, not to mention regular change outs between productions. 

[Wee Thomas2]

bwayobsessed said: "Let’s be real, stagehands are some of the only people working in theatre who get paid like professionals. They shouldn’t budge. Everyone else should be getting paid more. Pressure producers and the government to be generous. Not workers. Also whoever said stagehands just mop the floor is repulsive."

Assume you are ok paying higher prices and higher taxes then?

[Kad]

Wee Thomas2 said: "bwayobsessed said: "Let’s be real, stagehands are some of the only people working in theatre who get paid like professionals. They shouldn’t budge. Everyone else should be getting paid more. Pressure producers and the government to be generous. Not workers. Also whoever said stagehands just mop the floor is repulsive."

Assume you are ok paying higher prices and higher taxes then?"

Assume you are okay with workers being stiffed so you can save a few bucks?

[Fosse76]

unclevictor said: "Because Fosse, they make triple the amount of $$$ than anyone else in the building and if anyone should be taking a pay cut in order for live theatre to come back, they should. It’s absurd that the guy that mops the deck makes 3 figures and the hair person working 70 hours a week makes the least amount of $$. Local 1 should take the temporary pay cut. They’re still making more $$$ than anyone else even with the pay cut "

Nonsense. 

[Wick3]

I didn't realize full-time stagehands at the Met have an average salary of $260k a year! Wow. 

I guess some may make around $400k/year depending on overtime etc.

 

[Sutton Ross]

Some "may" make? Nope, they actually do. 

[KKeller6]

I believe that 260K figure included benefits, which can run up to 40% in some cases, not that I know any specifics about the Met contract. That being said, we should never be for pay cuts for regular, working class, middle class people. Even ones on the upper end. We should continue fighting for better wages for all in the middle class and others less fortunate.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

KKeller6 said: "I believe that 260K figure included benefits, which can run up to 40% in some cases, not that I know any specifics about the Met contract. That being said, we should never be for pay cuts for regular, working class, middle class people. Even ones on the upper end. We should continue fighting for better wages for all in the middle class and others less fortunate."

The Met's head electrician makes $510k and the head carpenter $459k. I'm sure they are great at what they do. But they are not upper-middle class, they are literally in the top 1%.

[Fosse76]

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "KKeller6 said: "I believe that 260K figure included benefits, which can run up to 40% in some cases, not that I know any specifics about the Met contract. That being said, we should never be for pay cuts for regular, working class, middle class people. Even ones on the upper end. We should continue fighting for better wages for all in the middle class and others less fortunate."

The Met's head electrician makes $510k and the head carpenter $459k. I'm sure they are great at what they do. But they are not upper-middle class, they are literally in the top 1%."

Are you saying that they are overpaid? In what position are you to comment on that? And Local 1 members often do a lot of overtime and also work other venues.  They work for their money. 

[KKeller6]

Let's focus on the regular crew. There will always be outliers. I don't make anywhere near what those two guys make, but who am I to decide its too much? My only point is let's not look at things and cut each other down too quickly because some have more. Let's work to get those who have less more. Otherwise, everyone will have less.

[A.J.]

itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "KKeller6 said: "I believe that 260K figure included benefits, which can run up to 40% in some cases, not that I know any specifics about the Met contract. That being said, we should never be for pay cuts for regular, working class, middle class people. Even ones on the upper end. We should continue fighting for better wages for all in the middle class and others less fortunate."

The Met's head electrician makes $510k and the head carpenter $459k. I'm sure they are great at what they do. But they are not upper-middle class, they are literally in the top 1%."

How dare professionals who are at the top of their industry be paid accordingly!? GTFO of here. 

These technicians are responsible for industrial power breakouts, complex stage machinery, and rigging systems that suspend multiple tons of equipment in the air. In their roles, a simple mistake or miscalculation could kill multiple people.

They deserve every cent. 

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

A.J. said: "itsjustmejonhotmailcom said: "KKeller6 said: "I believe that 260K figure included benefits, which can run up to 40% in some cases, not that I know any specifics about the Met contract. That being said, we should never be for pay cuts for regular, working class, middle class people. Even ones on the upper end. We should continue fighting for better wages for all in the middle class and others less fortunate."

The Met's head electrician makes $510k and the head carpenter $459k. I'm sure they are great at what they do. But they are not upper-middle class, they are literally in the top 1%."

How dare professionals who are at the top of their industry be paid accordingly!? GTFO of here.

These techniciansare responsible for industrial power breakouts, complex stage machinery, and rigging systems that suspend multiple tons of equipment in the air. In their roles, a simple mistake or miscalculation could kill multiple people.

They deserve every cent."

All I said was that contrary to AJ's post that they were upper middle class, those two employees are literally in the top 1% of earners in the US. In terms of the Met, I think everyone making that much should be taking a paycut until things get back to normal. So that the people making $50k a year don't have to.