Agreement Goes "International"

The recent tentative agreement between the management and musicians of Arizona Opera has been chronicled in the April issue of the trade paper for the American Federation of Musicians. On page nine of the International Musician, a short article announces the tentative agreement and spells out some of the details, which include wage freezes and compromised mileage compensation.

The article points out that an enormous amount if teamwork was involved during these marathon negotiations, as the musicians of the Arizona Opera live in various parts of the state. Commitee Chair Nathan Mitchell comments that “everybody was on the same team and was willing to bend over backwards.” Local 586 Secretary-Treasurer Madelyn Roberts noted the “extreme solidarity in this group” and that musicians “felt that this was a fight worth fighting.”

AFM Negotiator Nathan Kahn was recognized for his expertise and assistance.

The musicians will be taking their ratification vote in mid-April during the next opera cycle. The ratification process is the final step in making the agreement official.