The atmosphere has been tense lately at the Metropolitan Opera ever since its general manager, Peter Gelb, threatened to lock out workers if they do not agree to concessions in their contract negotiations. The contracts for over 15 unions expired August 1, and the Met originally extended deadlines to end the following Monday. Now the Met has declared the deadline as Sunday, August 17, according to The New York Times.
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service also announced that the independent analyst, Eugene J. Keilin's report of the Metropolitan Opera's finances is nearing completion.
The American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) hopes to continue to negotiate "in good faith" until there is an agreement on both sides. Meanwhile, Local 1 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees is waiting to see what the other unions do since Gelb rejected its offer of a wage freeze and instead requested a 14.5% cut.
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