All the World's a Stage

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players...
William Shakespeare - from "As You Like It"

AZOOMA is openly soliciting our patrons to become involved in supporting the orchestra as members of an AUDIENCE ASSOCIATION.

We are currently in contract negotiations. These negotiations are important in determining the future of the orchestra.

If you are interested in participating now, please contact us.

We need your help.

The Opera Orchestra’s negotiating committee has agreed to no pay increase for two years, and to subsidize the Opera in the face of rising gasoline prices during their long drives to Tucson and Phoenix.

These are huge concessions.

1. No pay increase for two years.
2. A two-year freeze of our mileage reimbursement rate of thirty cents per mile - far below the IRS rate of 48.5 cents per mile.

Recent news reports cite that gas prices may be as high as $3.75 (maybe even $4.00) per gallon by the summer of 2008.

The Opera’s latest proposal requires us to abandon the protection of any substantive labor action when the contract is reopened for negotiations in the third year.

We have not yet come to agreement on wages for the third year.

For more information, please visit our Audience Association page on our main web site.

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