Metropolitan Opera to Lock Out Stagehands as Contract Talks Stall

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.

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?

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

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.

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.

Updated On: 12/9/20 at 12:43 PM

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.

Updated On: 12/9/20 at 01:50 PM

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?

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.

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 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.

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.

Updated On: 12/9/20 at 08:08 PM