AFM Local 802 Celebrates Restoration of Salaries to Pre-COVID Levels

Musicians of the New York Philharmonic, who are members of AFM Local 802, celebrated the recent news that their salaries and seniority and overscale payments will be restored to their pre-pandemic levels. When the pandemic shuttered venues in 2020, NY Philharmonic musicians and management agreed to significant reductions in pay in order to allow the organization to withstand an unprecedented 18-month period of concert cancellations. Now the minimum base salary will return to 100 percent of the 2019-20 season scale.

Local 802 President Tino Gagliardi said, "I'm thrilled that the New York Philharmonic has honored its obligation to restore full compensation to the orchestra. The pandemic forced musicians to make extremely painful sacrifices, yet we never lost hope that live music would return. Now that our city is reopened and audiences have come back, we applaud the New York Philharmonic for supporting its musicians, who are the reason that New York City is the cultural capital of the world."

“This is a momentous day for the New York Philharmonic. Not only will the musicians be made whole from the cuts of the last two years, but we can also look to the future with confident enthusiasm," said Associate Principal Trombone Colin Williams, who serves as chair of Orchestra Committee. "Two years ago, the musicians of the Philharmonic made a significant sacrifice because of their determination to bring music and life to our community despite the challenges of Covid and being displaced from our hall. Our efforts, combined with the support of our steadfast Board and Staff, have laid the foundation for a new and brighter future. We musicians look ever forward to adding to the incredible tapestry that makes New York the most exciting place in the world.”