ARTS-MSM Precollege Faculty Union

Important Facts about our Contract Negotiations, October 2024

What would a “restorative” contract look like? 

• Pay Rates in line with our peer institutions

• No increase in class sizes

• Raising the rate for auditions to the minimum hourly rate

• Raising the rate for mandatory trainings and meetings to the minimum hourly rate

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

MSM wants to increase class sizes: for theory classes from 18 to 23, and ear training classes from 12 to 16.

Precollege tuition has increased 25% since 2017: Precollege Tuition in 2017-18 was $4500/semester and is $5625/semester in the 2024-25 school year for a total of $11,250/year.

College tuition increased 23% in that same period. From $45,375 to $55,750

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

MSM has brought in a lot of money since our last contract was negotiated: According to publicly available tax documents, MSM’s total revenue increased from $61,189,985 in 2016 to $72,058,708 in 2022. MSM has also increased their endowment 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.

MSM Precollege is highly profitable: 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.

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

In addition, in 2022, FIVE Deans were collectively paid $1,00,600, while in 2016 there was only ONE Dean who earned $202,632. 

Precollege Faculty base rate hourly pay is $61/hour. Faculty at Mannes Prep earn 72% more and faculty at Juilliard’s MAP program make 138% more. Tuition at MSM is higher than both Mannes Prep and Juilliard MAP.

According to MSM’s tax filings from 2016 to 2022, “Faculty pay, other compensation, employee benefits”  FELL from 47% of total revenue to 44% of total revenue. Precollege faculty do NOT receive health benefits so the “employee benefits” refer mainly to college faculty. 

MSM assesses a surcharge to students of certain Precollege faculty members, which has nearly doubled since our last contract was negotiated. In the same time period, however, average hourly rates for those faculty increased by less than 10%. Base tuition for students impacted by the surcharge is currently $14,150, making recruitment more challenging. We are proposing that MSM share no less than 75% of surcharge fees with the teachers affected by them.

MSM’s President James Gandre earned $700,960, as shown on MSM’s publicly available tax form 990 from 2022. 

MSM has retained one of the most expensive law firms in the country to assist the school in bargaining. According to the Wall Street Journal, in 2016, top attorneys at Proskauer Rose charge $1475/hour. (https://www.wsj.com/articles/legal-fees-reach-new-pinnacle-1-500-an-hour-1454960708)