Allegro

THE STATE OF THE UNION

President's Report

Volume 126, No. 9October, 2026

Dan Point
dpoint@local802afm.org

Local 802 has had one of the busiest seasons in recent memory and we’ve been working hard for our members. Here are some of the highlights for this month.

BUILDING UPDATE

The future of the Local 802 building at 322 West 48th is one of our greatest responsibilities right now. All of us are well aware that the building is a physical representation of our community – it literally allows us to see each other face to face. On a musical level, one of the top perks of membership has always been the ability to meet and rehearse in the club room at the lowest rates in town.

The officers and I are doing everything in our power to explore all options for reoccupying the building in a fiscally responsible way. Part of that responsibility includes a deadline: over the summer the Executive Board passed a resolution, which basically gives us Dec. 31 as the date for a final decision on the building.

So where do we stand now? Even though there are many moving parts, the situation is actually simple to summarize at the moment:

  • Our building at 322 West 48th is completely demolished inside.
  • The only way we can reoccupy it is to renovate it.
  • The only way we can afford to renovate it is to get a loan.
  • Affording that loan is dependent on us earning rental income in the future.
  • The first-choice plan would be that we reoccupy the club room and one or two other floors, while renting out the rest.
  • This means we need to get good tenants lined up with long-term leases.
  • In a perfect world, this entire scenario would do more than break even for us: it would bring in revenue and more than pay for itself in the long run.

That’s it. If we can get the right tenants and negotiate the right leases, then the plan falls into place. We are in talks with at least two possible tenants who have both expressed strong interest in long-term leases, but nothing is set in stone as of this publication date. I welcome your comments and feedback and will be happy to field questions at our in-person membership meeting on Oct. 7.

(For those who want a deep background into why Local 802’s building needed renovations in the first place and is currently demolished inside,  it has been reported many times in Allegro. One recent summary is here.)

CELEBRATING NEW CONTRACTS

In September, after several months of bargaining, the musicians of New York City Ballet ratified a new three-year agreement.  As I said to the press, our members stood together through every stage of this negotiation, and that solidarity is what produced a contract worthy of the musicians who bring the company’s musical repertoire to life. The agreement recognizes the artistry and dedication our members carry into the pit every night, and we look forward to a great season at Lincoln Center with a full orchestra playing music that matches the brilliance of New York City Ballet’s dancers on stage. I would also like to thank our negotiating committee for the long hours behind this deal. Please read the committee’s own analysis of how they won. 

Separately, musicians at Winter Jazzfest have won a new agreement with several new gains. This is possibly the only unionized indie jazz festival in the world, and we honor the musicians who worked hard to win a union with us 15 years ago. Read the story in Allegro.

Lastly, supporting musicians who were recently hired by three pop superstars – Josh Groban, Harry Styles and Hayley Williams – won Local 802 union contracts thanks to musicians and union staff working together. If you get called to play a gig with a top musician at a well-known venue, make sure it’s under contract. Those superstars can afford it! Contact Field Director Sally Weathers at sweathers@local802afm.org or if you prefer to report anonymously, use our Hotline page at www.local802afm.org/hotline.

NEGOTIATING OTHER CONTRACTS

The union is working around the clock with the Met Orchestra Committee to negotiate a strong contract that adequately addresses parity for our members with other orchestras across the country.

In addition to the Met, we continue to negotiate many other contracts including Roundabout Theater Company and the Perelman Arts Center. Meanwhile, the AFM is at the bargaining table with the major record labels negotiating the Sound Recording Labor Agreement (SRLA) which will pick up again in early November. If you are a session musician interested in participating in these negotiations please reach out to Sally Weathers at sweathers@local802afm.org to get information on upcoming zoom caucuses.

MAYOR MAMDANI LAUNCHES “OPERA FOR ALL”

“Opera for All,” a long-term partnership between NYC and the Met Opera that will provide 70,000 free tickets this season to New Yorkers who have never attended a performance at the Met, was launched on Sept. 24 by Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Diya Vij.

I was privileged to be at the Met for this season’s opening night and had the honor of showing Deputy Mayor Julie Su where the Met Orchestra performs. Deputy Mayor Su wrote on her Instagram, “I got a sneak peek backstage with Local 802, where we toured the orchestra pit, the library where all the music sheets are stored, the wings where the stage managers of IATSE get ready for the show.”

To me, “Opera for All” is one of the most exciting partnerships in Met history. Thank you, Mayor Mamdani, for sharing the artistry of the Met Opera and the Met Orchestra with the city. We love this! Read more in this month’s Allegro.

DOLLY PARTON APPRECIATION DAY

Local 802 musicians Cody Geil, Larry Siegel and Lily White (pictured above) added joy and live music to Dolly Parton Appreciation Day with students from P.S. 11, Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal, NYC Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels and representatives from Vanderbilt University-NYC (who hosted the program). As I told the press, Dolly Parton has spent her career proving that a working musician can change lives far beyond the stage, from “9 to 5” giving voice to working women to the Imagination Library putting more than 250 million books into the hands of children. She is a songwriter, a performer, and a union member who has never forgotten where she came from, and that is exactly the kind of artist we celebrate every day at Local 802. On behalf of the musicians of New York, thank you to Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal for giving Dolly the recognition she has earned.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

What does it really mean to be a member of a labor union? What’s your role in the greater union body? What rights do you have as a worker, and how do you organize? Those were some of the questions at the heart of ‘Know Your Rights: Unionism for Freelance Musicians,’ a new unionism workshop presented by Local 802 and the AFM’s Freelance Services department. Read more in this month’s Allegro.

MIDTERMS

The midterms are fast approaching (election day is Nov. 3) and Local 802 will be working hard to safeguard our democracy and make sure that pro-union and pro-worker candidates prevail. Please reach out to Chief of Staff Rush Perez to learn how you can help out, and please consider contributing to our political action fund. And please make sure you are registered to vote (the deadline is Oct. 24)!

MEMBERSHIP MEETING

The Local 802 membership meeting on Oct. 7, 2026 at 5pm is IN PERSON only. The agenda includes a bylaw resolution and a response/resolution from the E-board. Register at www.local802afm.org/oct7.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ANNOUNCEMENT

The New York State Department of Labor has announced an upgrade to the state’s unemployment insurance system. The upgrade will begin on Nov. 2 at 5pm and is expected to take 9 to 12 days. During that time, all unemployment services will be temporarily unavailable, and, consequently, customers should be prepared for delayed benefit payments. The state says that this brief period of inconvenience will provide New Yorkers with a system that is more efficient, user-friendly, and responsive to their needs long term. The link for more news (and to apply for unemployment) is: https://dol.ny.gov/unemployment/unemployment-insurance-assistance