Collective Bargaining Talks at The "People's Opera" Collapse

Collective Bargaining Talks at The "People's Opera" Collapse

By Bruce Levine on Fri, 12/02/2011 - 8:34am |

Fiorella La Guardia dubbed the New York City Opera the "people's opera" when it was founded back in 1943. Since then many of the finest artists in the world have been a part of this fabled institution, including household names like Placido Domingo and Beverly Sills.

Now, talks with two of the unions have broken down, as the Opera is downsizing, leaving its home at Lincoln Center, and insisting that some of the finest artists in the world "accept reality", forfeit health insurance and accept ninety percent reductions in pay.

What becomes of a society that cares not about things so precious?

URL:

http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/talks-break-down-between-city-opera-and-unions/