After almost three years at the bargaining table, singers, dancers and stage staff at Opera Colorado have secured their first union contract. The three-year agreement cements pay, scheduling protections and other workplace safeguards for chorus members and behind-the-scenes crews. It is an unusually broad, wall-to-wall deal for a regional opera company and a clear sign the organization is trying to steady itself after deep pandemic-era cuts.
The company and the American Guild of Musical Artists reached a tentative agreement in mid-June, and AGMA’s Board of Governors signed off on the three-year pact in July, according to the American Guild of Musical Artists. The union described the contract as the beginning of “an important new chapter” for Opera Colorado.
What the deal covers
The contract covers stage managers and assistant stage managers, chorus singers, choreographers and performers, the same categories of artists who petitioned for union representation in 2023. It also includes a separate side letter that governs the company’s eight-month Artists in Residence program. Among its workplace provisions are guaranteed rest periods and meal breaks for stage staff, along with pay and work-related reimbursements for chorus members. As reported by The Colorado Sun, the deal promises chorus singers will earn at least Denver’s minimum wage and that their parking costs will be covered while they are working at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
Protections for early-career artists
The Artists in Residence side letter ensures that temporary performers receive many of the same protections as year-round staff, and it adds flexible leave so singers can travel for auditions or accept roles without being penalized. Hallie Schmidt, Opera Colorado’s artist in residence for the 2024–25 seasons, told The Colorado Sun that singers need to be “ready for singing just like an athlete,” and said the residency is being refocused toward professional development rather than miscellaneous non-career tasks. BroadwayWorld also reports that the side letter provides housing and weekly wages for resident artists and is intended to expand their contract opportunities on mainstage productions.
How the union formed
Artists filed for union representation in mid-2023 and won certification later that year. The National Labor Relations Board’s tally recorded 91 votes in favor of the union and 8 against, out of 99 ballots counted, which led to AGMA’s certification. The NLRB’s records show that the vote created the broad bargaining unit that ultimately negotiated this first contract, according to the NLRB.
Why it matters
Opera Colorado, like many performing arts organizations, has trimmed programming in recent seasons, and both management and the union are framing the agreement as a move toward stability and credibility in a shaky industry. “This agreement begins an important new chapter in the story of Opera Colorado,” CEO Barbara Lynne Jamison said in AGMA’s announcement, adding that the deal helps position the company to keep bringing operatic storytelling to Colorado for years to come, per AGMA.
What’s next
Opera Colorado’s 2026–27 season is scheduled to open with an Artists in Residence showcase in late September, followed by a production of Macbeth in November, and artists covered by the new contract are expected to take the stage this season. Those dates appear on the company’s season calendar, according to Opera Colorado.
