As I complete my first year as Local 802 president, I can confidently say that union power is on the rise. In the past six weeks alone, musicians have chalked up major contract victories at Broadway and the MET Orchestra. And just last year, New York Philharmonic musicians won a historic contract victory and achieved a restorative salary adjustment of over 30 percent. Musicians are realizing how much power they actually have — and the obvious question is this: how do we build on our successes so that even more musicians demand the wages and benefits they deserve?

There are so many keys to winning. Solidarity and communication are important, but the very first necessary ingredient is simply believing that change is possible. Hope is the engine that powers everything. When musicians (or any workers) feel that victory really is possible despite the ugliest threats and fears that employers can throw at us, that is the spark that ignites the fire.

The very first president’s report I wrote for Allegro back in January was entitled “They Have to Know We’ll Walk.” I wrote “The greatest and only leverage we have when going up against billionaires is our resolve to walk away if we need to. The billionaires know this too. They read us closely — it’s their job. A primary objective for them is to figure us out. While we’re performing, they’re scheming. They want to wear us down, manipulate and demoralize us.”

Musicians at Broadway, the Met and the NY Phil have shown that great contracts are possible even when the employer puts up a serious fight. We recently settled other contracts too, including the Big Apple Circus, Midori & Friends and the John Engeman Theatre. We’re negotiating many others, including the Perelman Arts Center and Jazz at Lincoln Center. And earlier this year, musicians at Radio City Music Hall and New York City Opera won excellent new contracts, and we rallied with part-time music teachers at the Manhattan School of Music to help them win their contract. We also celebrated this year when the musicians who play under the Local 802 Not-For-Profit Off Broadway union agreement won a 14 to 18 percent cumulative raise, plus other new benefits and perks. Good contracts are becoming contagious.

But what about musicians who are forced to play low-paying nonunion gigs? How can they get inspiration and pick up the fight?

The first thing is simply to talk to your fellow musicians. If you’re not earning the wages and benefits you deserve, you already know it. And sometimes it’s not just about money but about respect and job security. Or you might notice that your gig is being recorded or livestreamed for the benefit of the producer — and you’re not getting any extra money for it.

A union contract can change all that. When you negotiate a union gig, your benefits can include fair wages, paid rehearsals, paid soundchecks, premiums for doubling and cartage, health and pension contributions, job security, protection against unfair treatment, congestion toll reimbursement, and much more. And if you aren’t paid correctly or aren’t treated respectfully, you can get free representation from professional union representatives, including legal counsel.

The union movement empowers people to work together for justice, equality, diversity and human rights. As a union musician, you get the resources to demand the pay, benefits, job security and respect that you deserve. This is much easier with the power of a union than if you try to negotiate separately on your own.

After talking to your colleagues, the next step is to contact us. I would personally love to meet with any musician who wants to talk about their gig. We have at least three ways to report a work situation, including an anonymous method. You can start at www.local802afm.org/hotline.

Union campaigns are personally transformative. It’s not just about winning better pay and benefits or about getting your rights in writing for the first time. Once you’ve won a union campaign or negotiated a great contract, you and your colleagues feel united like never before.

Case in point: I encourage you to see how the recent Broadway contract campaign empowered Broadway musicians and what the negotiating committee learned from the process — and how it can inspire other bargaining units. Read “The Show Almost Didn’t Go On: Reflections on our successful Broadway campaign” in this issue, written by Sarah Haines and the Broadway Negotiating Committee.

As I complete my first year as Local 802 president, I also want to celebrate the victory in our state budget. In a lift for music jobs in New York, scoring work for TV and film will now be considered a “qualified cost” for the first time ever under the New York State Film Production Tax Credit program. We thank Gov. Kathy Hochul for her tremendous support and we appreciated her visit to our June membership meeting.

But mostly, I want to thank the trust and faith that you, the members, have put in me. Leading a union is very challenging, but you’ve made it a pleasure — and you’ve pushed me to live up to my highest ideals. Thank you!

Finally, here’s a quick plug for any of your colleagues who may not be members of Local 802 yet. New members who join by Dec. 31 are exempt from the $100 initiation fee. Join at www.local802afm.org/join.

To end on a high note: musicians are unstoppable when they act as a union. Let’s hit the ground running as we greet the new year.