6 replies to this topic

[Stecyk]

Very Positive News...

May 3, 2011, 12:43 pm
City Ballet Reaches Accord With Dancers
By ROBIN POGREBIN
The New York Times

Quote

Dancers with the New York City Ballet voted 63-1 on Tuesday to accept a contract after contentious negotiations over issues like overtime and salary. “I’m pretty excited,” said Devin Alberda, a member of the company’s corps de ballet who serves on the dancers’ six-member negotiating committee. “I don’t think we got everything we wanted, but we made a lot of progress in terms of our work conditions.”

[melange]

Phooey!!  I was sooo looking forward to watching Marcovici carry a picket sign during his sarabande in Agon tonight.

[Slant]

Would love to know who was the lone dissenting vote.

[bart]

melange, on 03 May 2011 - 11:36 AM, said:

Phooey!!  I was sooo looking forward to watching Marcovici carry a picket sign during his sarabande in Agon tonight.

[California]

The LA Times has just posted some updated information in a report by Susan Reiter:

http://latimesblogs....ct-dispute.html

Quote

Gordon said was impressed by the dancers' involvement in these negotiations. "Usually there's just a negotiating committee, but in this instance, the dancers cared so much that we would average 50, 60 dancers at each session, spending the entire day, including the principals, which is even more unheard of. There were still maybe 35 dancers there at 12:30 a.m."

[vipa]

Quote

Gordon said was impressed by the dancers' involvement in these negotiations. "Usually there's just a negotiating committee, but in this instance, the dancers cared so much that we would average 50, 60 dancers at each session, spending the entire day, including the principals, which is even more unheard of. There were still maybe 35 dancers there at 12:30 a.m."

I think this is a positive sign of the times.  These dancers are not "kids" (a favored term for dancers by management in the old days).  They are adults looking to their future.  

It has always been hard for dancers to stand up for themselves.  Dancers want to dance and appreciate opportunities to do so, and they are aware of how short a dancer's career it.  For those reasons it can be easy to just accept whatever is offered.  Good for these dancers for their participation.

[Ray]

vipa, on 03 May 2011 - 05:04 PM, said:

Quote

Gordon said was impressed by the dancers' involvement in these negotiations. "Usually there's just a negotiating committee, but in this instance, the dancers cared so much that we would average 50, 60 dancers at each session, spending the entire day, including the principals, which is even more unheard of. There were still maybe 35 dancers there at 12:30 a.m."

I think this is a positive sign of the times.  These dancers are not "kids" (a favored term for dancers by management in the old days).  They are adults looking to their future.  

It has always been hard for dancers to stand up for themselves.  Dancers want to dance and appreciate opportunities to do so, and they are aware of how short a dancer's career it.  For those reasons it can be easy to just accept whatever is offered.  Good for these dancers for their participation.

As a former union rep in an AGMA company, I agree that this is a good sign. I can remember many well-attended pre-negotiation meetings with my colleagues, that turned out just to be bitch sessions; when the rubber hit the road the bitching miraculously stopped--and so did the participation.