[From www.sfcv.org]

It began in February. Of 2003! That's when the contract ran out for the San
Francisco Opera Chorus, and this week - after 14 months of attempts to
negotiate a new agreement - the organization representing 45 regular-chorus
and some 40 extra-chorus singers is calling it a day. AGMA, the American
Guild of Musical Artists, will meet Opera negotiators today, and has
scheduled a shop meeting for all bargaining unit workers (including dancers,
production workers and others under AGMA contracts) the following day.

The company's final offer, according to AGMA national executive director
Alan Gordon is not likely to be acceptable, so the purpose of the Wednesday
meeting appears to have the membership decide what to do, already having
strike or other labor actions authorized by AGMA's Board of Governors and
the San Francisco Labor Council. Bad news, which may jeopardize the
company's summer schedule, is looming large because there is more than usual
enmity and bitterness in the negotiations.

"The Opera's last wage offer for choristers and dancers was a wage freeze
(at 2002 rates, which were already 25% less than 2001 rates) for 2003-2004,
another wage freeze for 2004-2005 and a 1% wage increase for 2005-2006,"
Gordon wrote in a report to the singers, "despite the fact that Pamela
Rosenberg and Donald Runnicles each now earn more than $350,000 a year,
despite the fact that the Company pays the lowest paid member of the
orchestra a guaranteed salary of $62,500 for only 22 weeks, while you work
33 weeks for far less money, despite the fact that a San Francisco Opera
chorister earns less than a San Francisco sanitation worker."

Rosenberg told Opera patrons in a letter last week that ongoing efforts to
reduce the company's multi-million dollar deficit rely "in part [on] the
success we have achieved thus far negotiating new contracts with some of our
labor union partners... Unfortunately, we have not enjoyed the same kind of
progress with members of AGMA, the union representing chorus members,
principal artists, production staff and dancers who perform at the Opera...
AGMA's request for increases in pay are not possible under the current
financial constraints imposed by the Opera's commitment to full economic
recovery."

Acknowledging "the great artistry of the men and women of AGMA," Rosenberg
wrote that she "cannot demonstrate that appreciation at this time with a
salary increase this organization simply cannot afford. To do otherwise
would put the Opera's future at risk and equally jeopardize the many people
in our Opera family whose incomes derive from this organization."

AGMA officials, in turn, cite not only the salary offer as insufficient, but
list numerous other grievances, including alleged management intent "to
eliminate retirement bonuses for choristers, tenure and health benefits for
dancers... and rejecting a guaranteed annual wage for singers." An AGMA
member told Classical Voice the night before the final negotiating session
that a settlement is possible only "if we are willing to swallow the 15-25%
cuts of last year, accept a continued rate freeze this year, and a 1% or 2%
rate increase next year, offset by a reduced schedule, plus cuts to
retirement bonuses that would eliminate some individuals' bonuses
completely, etc. It ain't gonna happen." Other sources say that the company
let San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom know that it would not welcome his
involvement in the negotiations.

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Janos Gereben/SF
www.sfcv.org
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