Contract Dispute Between Union Artists and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Escalates

With the current collective bargaining agreement between the American Guild of Musical Artists and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater set to expire today, the AGMA Ailey Negotiating Committee – made up of the Artists of Ailey – has been at the bargaining table for several weeks, fighting for a fair and equitable contract. The Artists have made multiple detailed presentations to management in support of their request for a fair contract; in response, management has told the Artists that their asks are too costly and unworthy of the Company’s resources.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is one of the most successful dance companies in the United States, boasting a healthy balance sheet and an annual budget of approximately $40 million. Despite the financial health of the organization, Alvin Ailey spends a comparatively minuscule fraction of its overall budget on the dancers and stage managers who make up the first company and carry out the primary work and mission of the organization. While Alvin Ailey Artists have significantly more performances each year than Artists at peer companies, their Artists are compensated well below the national standard in terms of guaranteed work weeks, salary, and overall career earnings. Meanwhile, the compensation for Alvin Ailey’s highest-paid executives stands at the very top of the market in the dance world. Click here to read more and to send a letter to the Alvin Ailey board supporting the Artists' demands for a fair contract!