Texas Ballet Theater has reached its first collective bargaining agreement with the American Guild of Musical Artists, marking the first time a North Texas dance company has reached a union contract in over 40 years.
Griff Braun, national organizing director of AGMA, said “this is an important step for dance and for union artists in the North Texas area.”
TBT dancers formed a union in 2023 and have been bargaining with the company for almost two years.
A Texas Ballet Theater spokesperson said in an email the company looks forward to launching a new season with the agreement in place.
“The agreement is a result of good faith efforts by both parties and reflects our unwavering commitment to fostering a collaborative, sustainable working environment, and upholding the highest standards of excellence,” he wrote.
The contract, which Braun describes as “robust,” includes yearly raises for dancers and a 50% pay increase for early-career dancers. It also includes paid parental leave, health and safety protections, allocations for retirement, work-hour limits and touring and media protections.
“What came out of that I think is really good for the dancers and for the company and for the future of Texas Ballet Theater,” he said.
DEI Protections
A notable feature of the contract is diversity, equity and inclusion-related provisions given that both the White House and Texas leaders have implemented bans on DEI efforts. The Texas Legislature has approved a bill that would ban diversity, equity and inclusion policies in public K-12 schools. Gov. Greg Abbott also issued an executive order directing state agencies to ban DEI policies.
Despite the state and White House bans on DEI initiatives, Braun said AGMA’s commitment to inclusivity hasn't changed. Some of the provisions in the contract include protecting pregnant dancers’ right to work, committing to gender-neutral bathrooms and dressing rooms and working with “DEI experts to end harmful stereotyping in all repertoire and performances.”
Since the start of the year, President Donald Trump has pushed out executive orders challenging collective bargaining rights for federal workers. Trump also attempted to fire a Democratic board member of the National Labor Relations Board. She was eventually reinstated by a federal judge who described the move as unprecedented in their ruling.
In May, North Texas arts groups, including three dance groups, lost over $345,000 in federal funding from the National Endowment of the Arts after the Trump administration announced a change in the agency's priorities.
Braun said the new contract is positive amid challenges to the performing arts.
“I think professional dance and opera and other performing arts at this level are in the crosshairs, both in terms of attacks on labor and working people's rights, but also attacks on arts funding,” he said.
A historic moment
The Dallas Ballet, which went bankrupt in 1988, was the last North Texas dance company to organize with AGMA. In a June 10, 1979, edition, The Dallas Morning News covered the story with the headline “Negotiations insure Dallas ballet contract.”
In Texas, AGMA also represents the Houston Grand Opera, Houston Ballet and Ballet Austin. Locally, AGMA represents Dallas Black Dance Theatre and the Dallas Opera, which recently ratified a new five-year contract for its union in May.
Last year, Dallas Black Dance Theatre faced months of labor disputes after firing all of its main company dancers after they voted to unionize with AGMA. In December, DBDT reached a settlement of over $560,000 with AGMA.
Braun said he’s hopeful AGMA will soon begin bargaining with DBDT. He wonders if the first contract with TBT will help spur change.
“I hope that there's positive momentum geographically because we are working with Dallas Black Dance Theatre, we are in bargaining with Ballet Austin for first contracts,” he said. “If nothing else, it shows that it can be done because I think when you embark on a first contract negotiation, it can seem pretty daunting.”
Texas Ballet Theater will kick off its upcoming season in September.
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