Lyric Opera of Chicago season is on, after tentative AGMA contract agreement

Chicago Sun-Times, Wednesday, August 17, 2011 11:18AM CDT

Updated: August 17, 2011 11:22AM

CDT

Lyric Opera season is on, after tentative contract agreement

Opera company, AGMA committee plan one-year settlement

BY ANDREW PATNER

Threats of a management lockout or a strike by one of Lyric Opera of Chicago’s three major unions appeared to have been averted Wednesday morning when Lyric announced a tentative one-year contract agreement with the American Guild of Musical Artists, the AFL-CIO union representing principal singers, choristers, non-singing actors, and production staff at the Civic Opera House.

The agreement between Lyricand AGMA leaders is subject to final ratification by union members and the full Lyric board. Lyric spokeswoman Susan Mathieson Mayer said in a statement that Lyric expects this to occur by Aug. 26. In-person voting could begin at an AGMA meeting Wednesday evening in Chicago, but some ballots also must be sent out and returned by mail.

All scheduled performances this season are expected to proceed as planned, Mathieson Mayer said, including the September 10 free concert, “Stars of Lyric Opera at Millennium Park,” which could have been subject to picketing.

Details of the proposed contract are to be released after ratification. AGMA said last week that Lyric had threatened an August 22 lockout of its members.

Recent AGMA contracts have been for four-year periods, with the last one expiring April 30. The union had proposed a one-year status quo contract this time so that a future long-term agreement could be negotiated with incoming general director-designate Anthony Freud who takes up his position October 1, the same date as opening night of the 2011-2012 season.

AGMA’s New York-based national executive director Alan Gordon had issued a blistering press release last week accusing Lyric’s board of threatening “economic warfare” against his members. He also said that management had wanted a multi-year contract with numerous work week, salary, and benefit cuts, “take it or leave it.”

Speaking from New York, Gordon said, “After difficult negotiations, the AGMA committee determined that it would be prudent to make an investment in Lyric’s fiscal health and future by coming to this one-year agreement and has recommended its approval to our members.”