The Metropolitan Opera and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) Reach Tentative One-Year Agreement

New York, NY (June 6, 2025)—The Metropolitan Opera and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the union of the Met chorus, soloists, dancers, full-time actors, stage managers, stage directors, and choreographers have reached a tentative agreement on a new one-year contract, subject to a ratification vote by its members that will be completed later this month. AGMA is one of the three largest unions at the Met, together with Local 802 (orchestra) and Local One (stagehands). The new agreement will take effect on August 1, 2025, when the current contract expires.

The one-year agreement increases wages by 2.5%, supplemented by an additional temporary increase of 2.5% that sunsets at the end of the one-year term. The additional temporary increase reflects AGMA’s role in helping to secure a special line-item appropriation in the most recent New York State budget. AGMA and other Met unions helped the Met lobby for the special $5 million item earlier this year.

“We’re pleased to have reached an agreement with our AGMA employees, who together with our orchestra and stagehands, are the heart and soul of our performances,” said Peter Gelb, the Met’s Maria Manetti Shrem General Manager. “We’ve entered a new era of cooperation with AGMA, exemplified by their efforts to help the Met secure the special line item in the state’s budget.”

“We’re proud of what we’ve achieved together,” said Negotiating Committee Co-Chairs Lee Steiner, a chorister, and John Coleman, a stage manager. “This one-year agreement honors the contributions of all AGMA artists at the Met, and reflects real progress in areas our members identified as priorities. Just as importantly, it sets the stage for a more expansive negotiation next year, where we’ll continue to build on this momentum and work toward lasting improvements.”