Lockout looms at Met

New York’s Metropolitan Opera appears headed toward a management lockout of unionized musicians and stage workers. The company’s general manager, Peter Gelb, has sent letters to Met employees warning that if agreements are not reached on new contracts by July 31, work will be halted.

Management is seeking concessions from workers to head off what Gelb says is a looming financial crisis at the Met, whose revenues, especially ticket sales, have declined while expenses have risen.

The New York Times’ Michael Cooper reports:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/24/arts/music/met-opera-prepares-to-lock-out-workers.html?ref=music

Norman Lebrecht posts an interview with Gelb on the situation:

http://slippedisc.com/2014/07/gelb-latest-its-sad-we-are-in-a-position-where-a-work-stoppage-could-take-place/

And a response from the Met’s musicians:

http://slippedisc.com/2014/07/musicians-to-peter-gelb-youll-lose-the-city-hundreds-of-millions-of-dollars/

And from the company’s stage unions:

http://slippedisc.com/2014/07/gelbs-proposed-lockout-the-stage-unions-respond/