NY opera reaches deal with artist union

The Metropolitan Opera has come to an agreement with a union representing many of its singers, dancers and stage managers. According to the Wall Street Journal, the new contract with the American Guild of Musical Artists may help the company avoid additional financial distress.

The union's current contract was set to expire at the end of the month, but negotiators were able to find solutions in time. The new deal includes 2 percent annual wage increases over the next three years, as well as a provision that would mandate earlier show times beginning this Fall.

According to the Journal, the opera's former general manager, Joseph Volpe, was invited into the negotiation room to facilitate talks. Volpe vacated his position in 2006.

"(His inclusion) made our members feel secure that, despite the Met's economic challenges, everything would turn out well," opera singer Linda Mays told the news source.

Alan Gordon, the union's national leader, said he believed the agreement was "an excellent deal" in an interview with Philanthropy Today. Gordon hoped that the fair and amicable negotiations could set a precedent for the opera's future negotiations with separate employee unions.

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