When the 2020 pandemic hit cultural institutions and forced the New York City Ballet to suspend performances for 18 months, the company reduced the salaries of its dancers and other artists by 4% to weather the crisis. % reduced.
The dancers have been trying to make up for those losses in recent months, seeking pay increases when negotiating new employment contracts. City Ballet said it would raise salaries for its dancers and restore some benefits that were suspended during the pandemic, such as vacation pay and contributions to retirement accounts, as part of the three-year labor deal.
Sam Wheeler, the national executive director of the American Guild of Musical Artists, a union representing City Ballet dancers, stage managers and other workers, said in a statement that the deal is a “management and a great example of what can be achieved when unions work together.” “
Like many cultural organizations, City Ballet is working to restore the cuts made during the pandemic in the hope that the worst of the crisis will pass. Several groups, including the New York Philharmonic, reversed pandemic-era salary cuts in recent months as the financial outlook for arts institutions brightened somewhat. But art leaders admit that many uncertainties remain, including whether audiences will return to concert halls as often as they did pre-pandemic.
Under the agreement ratified by the union on Tuesday, dancers will receive a 6.7% wage increase this season, in line with New York City’s inflation rate. There will be additional raises in 2023 and her 2024.
In a statement, City Ballet said the deal “not only provides financial benefits, but continues our important work of creating respectful and safe workplaces for all employees.” says.
The deal includes several measures aimed at building a safer and more inclusive culture at City Ballet, especially for women and dancers of color.
The company will hire intimacy directors on a pilot basis to care for the physical and emotional well-being of the performers and to ensure that consent is obtained when dancers are asked to touch each other in an intimate way. .
Under the agreement, City Ballet will formally adopt a policy that allows dancers to wear tights and shoes that better suit each dancer’s skin tone rather than the standard pink attire. He also pledged to work to eliminate racial and ethnic stereotypes in ballet.
The pandemic-induced shutdown has disrupted the careers of many of City Ballet’s rising stars and cost them $55 million in expected ticket sales. Just as his live performances were starting to take off last year, a variant of Omicron emerged, forcing the company to cancel his 26 shows in December and January.
Attendance last season was still below pre-pandemic levels, hovering around 80%. However, the company hopes the new season will regain power for its audience.