President Adam Krauthamer sent a letter to members of Local 802 condemning the Lincoln Center restart steps.

Krauthamer, who has been outspoken about the Metropolitan Opera lockout, is now targeting Lincoln Center due to lack of union contracts.

In the letter, Krauthamer said, “Most of you know that Lincoln Center produces a series called Restart Stages, which includes performances at Damrosch Park. The problem is, Lincoln Center – even though it controls the money – refuses to act as an employer for its musicians. Instead, it sends out non-union contracts to our members and forces musicians to negotiate directly with conductors and music directors. This avoidance of responsibility means that there is no union agreement or salary scale for the take-over stages. “

He added: “The current recovery is very fragile. We need maximum support from arts institutions such as Lincoln Center, home to some of New York’s largest employers of musicians. Money is flowing into New York City thanks to the US stimulus package, and Lincoln Center is one of the beneficiaries. Now more than ever, musicians need support – including guaranteed fair wages and benefits…. To put it bluntly: Lincoln Center has the responsibility, duty, and moral obligation to pay for the standards of the zone and to assume the role of direct employer of musicians – instead of bypassing that requirement. “

Krauthamer was recently at “We Are the Met” and criticized general manager Peter Gelb by noting that he is not the Met. Local 802 is the largest local union of professional musicians in the world and represents orchestras such as the Met Opera Orchestra and the New York Philharmonic.