ARTS-MSM

Local 6498 of NYSUT

ARTS-MSM supports Manhattan School of Music Precollege Faculty

Working for a fairer contract

Working for a fairer contract

Precollege Faculty have been working without a contract since it expired on August 31, 2024.

What a restorative contract would look like

  • Pay rates in line with our peer institutions

  • No increase in core class sizes

  • Raising pay rates for auditions, mandatory trainings, and required meetings

  • More equitable sharing of surcharges assessed to students of MSM College faculty in the Precollege

Some Facts You Should Know

Some of our students are as young as 6 and an ear training class of 16 is simply unreasonable. Theory involves deep and repeated listening and score study. Working in a class of 23 is not how we want to teach or learn.

According to publicly available tax documents, MSM’s total revenue increased from $61,189,985 in 2016 when our last contract was negotiated to $72,058,708 in 2022. MSM’s endowment has increased from 22 million to 36 million in the last 6 years. We know we are a large part of the reason for MSM’s success.

Precollege Tuition in 2017-18 was $4500/semester and is $5625/semester in the 2024-25 school year, a 25% increase. College tuition increased 23% in that same period, from $45,375 to $55,750. Faculty raises have averaged $1-$2 per hour.

The Precollege program is highly profitable for MSM. According to the 2022 tax return: MSM College revenue in 2022 was $61.78 million. Expenses $56.69 million. net profit: $5.09 million or 8.24% of revenue. MSM Precollege revenue in 2022: $5.78 million, Expenses: $3.48 million. Net profit: $2.3 million or 39.8% of the revenue.

From each student’s tuition, the studio teacher receives about 20% and the ear training, theory and ensemble teachers each receive just above 1%.

Administrative pay increased from $1,350,776 in 2016 to $2,379,940 in 2022 (29% of this is going to President Gandre)

“Faculty pay, other compensation, employee benefits” FELL from $26,696,279 in 2016 (47% of total revenue) to $32,072,234 in 2022 (44% of total revenue)  

Keep in mind that Precollege faculty are ineligible for health benefits from MSM.

About Our Union

ARTS-MSM Precollege union officers are unpaid volunteers and members of the faculty. MSM's legal team, Proskauer Rose, is one of the most expensive law firms in the nation. A Wall Street Journal article (2016) reported hourly rates of $1475

  • We believe we are stewards of our profession. Since we’re training the next generations of musicians and educators we need to make sure our profession is healthy and sustainable.

  • We believe in a ‘shared abundance’ model in arts and educational organizations.

  • We believe musicians teaching at one of the top conservatories in the country should be paid a living wage.

  • We believe musicians and educators are essential to the life of New York City.

  • We believe things are OUT OF WHACK and we need to stand together and demand fairness.