Dear Members,

I’m happy to deliver this report to you after the success of our membership meeting on February 4, where more than 300 members from across our union attended in person and made their voices heard loud and clear both in support and opposition to several bylaw resolutions.

We crossed an important milestone last week, rising to meet some very large challenges. I want to pause to thank you all for participating in the democratic process as we celebrate and honor the sacrifices made by many, large and small, to make this meeting a success. From the time commitments members made to attend, to the long hours in preparation with our Local 802 staff, Executive Board, and fellow officers, I remain proud of what we proved we can accomplish when we work together in unity.

Collectively, these changes represent strong steps forward for Local 802. But our union is at an inflection point, and I hope that we use this meeting as a reference point as we continue to try to strive to make “good” even better. (View the bylaw vote results here.)

We did not have the opportunity to provide an update on the Local 802 building project due to the crowded agenda. I am happy to report that we are making progress in our analysis of the local’s finances and our ability to get back into the building – a prospect that appears more within reach by the week. We will be in touch soon with updates and future information meetings, but for now please remember that Local 802 is the only authoritative source of updates on the matter. If you haven’t heard it directly from us, don’t take it any more seriously than anything else you read on social media. 

As promised last month, I’ve started my listening tour to meet as many of you as possible. Over New Years I represented you at the Met Opera New Years Eve Gala, I Puritani. I met with the New York City Ballet Committee Leadership ahead of their contract negotiations this fall. I’ve met with members of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra and Encores! ahead of the High Spirits opening. And I’ve started a round of meetings with musicians on Broadway.

Just before the membership meeting, we launched a mini-survey to get your thoughts on how the union is serving you. Did you get to take it yet?

If not, could you take this short 3-minute survey and let me know what’s on your mind?

I’m going to continue the listening tour I began in January, but this short survey is helping us build a stronger future for our union and ensure that the voices of working musicians continue to resonate across our stages and beyond.

With your support, I know we can navigate the challenges facing our industry and seize new opportunities for artists in New York City. Please take my short survey before it closes this weekend. 

As part of our push to raise the union’s profile, I also spoke with the Hollywood Reporter about our recent Broadway contract negotiations and how we’ll fight to protect you all in the negotiations with record labels, especially when it comes to AI protections.

I’m especially excited to represent you as we have the opportunity to build a partnership with our first mayor in years who wants to be both pro-arts and pro-worker.

Whatever comes at us, I know that tackling the broader issues facing our industry, as well as the more immediate challenges facing our union, won’t be easy. But I also know that we can best tackle these challenges united, together.

In Solidarity,

Dan Point
President and Executive Director
AFM Local 802

p.s…As this issue of Allegro went to press, I had just delivered testimony to the City Council about affordability and the arts. You can read my full statement here.