AFM SSD ROPA WAGE AND SCALE CHART (wagechart.afm.org)
The AFM ROPA Wage and Scale Chart is one of the most valuable comparative data tools used in regional orchestra negotiations. It is up to the delegates to:
- Know the terms of their collective bargaining agreement (or know who you can ask), so you can verify the information and enter changes.
- Obtain the answers to employer and local union questions each year. The questions are sent to you via e-mail
- Register with SSD and enter the information supplied by management and the local union and from your contract in the online wage chart application.
- Inform your orchestra members about how to access the online wage charts.
Information and Instructions for Entering Information From SSD
The wage charts site hosts an innovative, dynamic and interactive database that offers an extraordinary opportunity to analyze the status of each orchestra in the industry and is an important tool for negotiators. wagechart.afm.org is accessible by AFM members only. Users must access the site with an updated browser (the chart is supported by google chrome, mozilla firefox, internet explorer, and safari). Useful information on how the website works can be found in the Help section with Guidelines and Glossaries, IM Articles and PowerPoints. Current and older charts are posted on wagechart.afm.org in the Wage Charts section.
*** Delegates are responsible for entering data in the Wage Charts by accessing the questionnaire of their own orchestra in the Delegates section. You must be a ROPA delegate and preregister with the SSD Contract Administrator Laurence Hofmann in order to gain access to this section.
In the fall, delegates will receive a list of questions to submit to the local and to management, respectively. In December, the questionnaire will be available online for your updates (until March). Delegates may ask any questions of SSD wage chart coordinator Laurence Hoffman. It is important to stay in touch with her and to keep her informed on your progress if you run into any difficulties with entering the wage chart information. Any problem, big or small, is of great importance to improving the wage charts and should be shared with SSD. PLEASE enter data ASAP!
You can access the questionnaire as often as you wish until the closing of the deadline. Every spring the current season’s charts are published in an edited PDF format. In the few months prior to publication, delegates are requested to bring the charts up to date so that the published pdf is as accurate as possible. Throughout the year, the delegates have the option to make changes to the online charts. Therefore, the online charts are usually the most current.
The Comparative Analysis: A Tool for Negotiations
An especially useful feature of the site is the Comparative Analysis. This section has 2 subsections: Filter by Criteria and Historical Review. Filter by Criteria: Orchestras can be compared with other orchestras using (one or multiple) criteria such as season length, musicians currently employed, orchestra budget, minimum annual salary, minimum weekly salary. Historical Review: the growth of an orchestra can be reviewed going back to the 2009-2010 season. The reports from the searches are presented as tables and graphs. They can be downloaded and/or printed.
For any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact the SSD Wage Chart coordinator:
Laurence Hofmann, SSD Contract Administrator
lhofmann@afm.org
office (917) 229 0211