Music faculty at the Manhattan School of Music Announce Strike

Press release

Music faculty at the Manhattan School of Music who teach in the precollege division announce their first-ever strike for a fair contract and a kickoff rally on Saturday, Feb. 1

WHAT: PRECOLLEGE MUSIC FACULTY STRIKE & RALLY FOR A FAIR CONTRACT
WHEN: SATURDAY, FEB. 1 FROM 8:30AM to 6PM
WHERE: 130 CLAREMONT AVENUE AT 122nd STREET, IN FRONT OF THE MANHATTAN SCHOOL OF MUSIC

On Feb. 1, the unionized faculty of the Manhattan School of Music who teach in the precollege division will launch its first-ever strike in the prestigious institution’s 100-year history. The one-week strike will kick off with a multi-union rally in front of the school building, from 8:30am to 6pm at 130 Claremont Avenue at 122nd Street.

The precollege faculty are represented by ARTS-MSM, a local of New York State United Teachers. The union is also receiving solidarity from many other NYC unions, including the musicians’ union (AFM Local 802). Many Local 802 members teach at the Manhattan School of Music’s precollege division.

The one-week strike, from Feb. 1 to Feb. 7, is the result of the Manhattan School of Music’s refusal to bargain in good faith and come to an agreement on a fair contract that reflects a commitment to its precollege faculty. These accomplished performers and teachers must be supported so they can provide the highest quality music education for generations to come.

The union’s fight is centered on meeting basic industry standards and the rising cost of living in Manhattan. The overwhelming majority of precollege faculty currently earn 43 percent less than their colleagues at similar institutions.

Ensuring fair pay and benefits for these workers is crucial for maintaining the Manhattan School of Music’s high standards, attracting top talent and fostering community trust. It’s time for the administration to prioritize making music over money.

LOCAL 802 PRESIDENT BOB SUTTMANN SAID: “Local 802 stands with the musician-teachers represented by ARTS-MSM, the union of Manhattan School of Music Precollege Division faculty, in their struggle for a fair contract! Many Local 802 members teach in this program, contributing their invaluable experience as performing artists to the education of young musicians. We know that the future of our profession lies in the development of new talent, and that pedagogical excellence is the key to nurturing tomorrow’s musicians and audiences for musical performances. The faculty of MSM Precollege are paid on average a fraction of what their colleagues at peer institutions make or the rates they command when they teach privately. In many cases, studio teachers directly recruit their private students to study at MSM Precollege, effectively agreeing to a huge pay cut in the interests of the student and the program. In fact, studio teachers at MSM are generally assigned only students they recruit or who request to study with them, and all teachers in the division are eligible for work only ‘as assigned.’ Years ago, MSM revoked health insurance benefits to Precollege faculty, further reducing the value of compensation. Thus, between the lack of reliable income and the absence of benefits, the need for respectable hourly rates has become all the more critical. In a recent e-mail to Precollege parents, MSM President James Gandre disingenuously tried to project the School’s current wage proposals onto a 40-hour, 52-weeks-a-year model. Any Local 802 member in the gig economy will instantly recognize the absurdity of such reasoning given the realities of a gigging musician. ARTS-MSM has dug deep into the school’s finances, studying publicly filed tax documents and internal audited financials. It has become eminently apparent that MSM has more than ample resources to pay Precollege faculty industry-standard rates NOW. Moreover, the division is clearly a cash-cow to the institution, generating impressive profits each year from high base tuition rates ($11,250 a year) as well as exorbitant surcharges (currently an additional $2,900 a year) on the students of some teachers. Local 802 supports these hard-working teachers as they fight MSM’s attempts to lock them into a 5-year contract of continued sub-standard pay. We urge our members and the music-loving public to write to MSM President James Gandre at jgandre@msmnyc.edu to demand a prompt resolution to this dispute by offering industry-standard pay to the people who do so much for our profession.”