New York Metropolitan Opera Postpones Lockout by 72 Hours

[hrmjustin]

JENNIFER MALONEY

The Metropolitan Opera put the brakes on a threatened lockout of its union employees Thursday night, agreeing to a 72-hour postponement.

General manager Peter Gelb called the delay a "one-time only extension," and said the move was intended to give the Met's mediator, who arrived late Thursday afternoon, a chance to succeed.

"We think that if there is a deal to get done, it will get done in the next 72 hours," he said. "Hopefully, we will get one done."

The Met on Thursday night did reach deals with three of its smaller unions, representing call-center workers, building engineers, ushers, ticket takers, cleaning staff and security guards, Mr. Gelb said. Those agreements still must be ratified.

http://online.wsj.com/articles/a-metropolitan-opera-lockout-could-cause-long-term-damage-1406848562

[no_hypocrisy]

1. The Back Story featuring the Koch Brothers

The Koch Brothers apparently love opera. Really.

The Met was losing money, so they made a multi-million dollar donation with instructions how to spend their money. The Met followed those instructions and lost more money than they got in the donation.

So Management told the musicians and other unions that had to take a 17% decrease in pay & benefits, when in fact it's really closer to 40% and it's not temporary, say for a year. It's an indefinite pay/benefits cut.

The unions are used to flexibility in bargaining but the Koch Brothers are still calling the shots behind the scenes.

[hrmjustin]

2. Wow, just wow! they try to destroy everything they get their hands on.

[no_hypocrisy]

3. Go to cultural centers in NYC and you'll see a Koch graffiti on a wall like if it were

Donald Trump


E.g., Metropolitan Museum of Art: David Koch's name chiseled in a marble wall as a donor, City Opera re-named the Koch Theater in Lincoln Center in big prominent letters

[hrmjustin]

4. Thanks. Do you think they planned it like this or it went beyond their control?

[no_hypocrisy]

5. I don't know but it wouldn't surprise me if it would be part of their

plan to undermine unions. They'll likely end up bankrupting the Metropolitan Opera or if they're successful, the attack on contracts of musicians will spread to the NY Philharmonic and other orchestras and opera companies. Definitely Broadway musicians.

BTW, I got the other information from a friend who spoke to the president of the NYC Musicians Local who knew firsthand about the back story.

[hrmjustin]

6. Well I hope other organizations realize their money comes with a lot of evil.