Local 802 AFM Calls For Government Relief for Musicians Displaced by Covid-19

Local 802 AFM has issued a statement for the public calling on New York Vity and state agencies to provide assistance to musicians and other arts workers impacted by the limit on public gatherings during the COVID-19 outbreak, which has already shuttered Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, and Broadway theaters, among other workplaces where Local 802 musicians are employed.

Read their statement below:

"We fully support the Metropolitan Opera for taking the necessary steps to ensure the safety of workers and patrons during the COVID-19 outbreak," said Adam Krauthamer, President of Local 802 AFM.

"The Met Opera has informed us that it will not pay its regular musicians after March 31 and that it will extend health coverage indefinitely. The musicians of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, alongside the many other unions who work at the Met, are the heart and soul of this storied institution. These professionals, many with families who rely on their paychecks, are now facing the prospect of no income for an extended period of time. We believe that immediate governmental assistance is essential to avoid a brutal outcome for these musicians."

The Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 American Federation of Musicians represents over 7,500 highly-skilled musicians who drive New York City's thriving cultural and tourism economy, which brings over 58 million visitors each year. Its members - who perform on Broadway, at Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and Radio City, on late night TV shows and in other televised bands, as well as in hotels, clubs, festivals and venues across NYC - are protected by collective bargaining agreements ensuring proper classification, fair treatment and a living wage. www.local802afm.org