La Scala Workers Authorize Strike Ahead of Faust Opening Night

Workers at Milan's Teatro alla Scala voted 449 to 1 on Oct. 12, 2026, to authorize a strike on Oct. 20 — the night of the company's season-opening Faust. The vote came at a workers' assembly called by the Cgil, Cisl, Uil and Fials unions.

The four bodies are Italy's three main general confederations — Cgil, Cisl and Uil — plus Fials, a public-sector health affiliate. The lone holdout has not been identified. The unions have not asked.

What do the workers want?

The dispute, according to reports, centers on the renewal of the theatre's contract — the next collective labor agreement — which runs three years from 2027. Workers are demanding a 15 percent rise in gross annual pay. They have also asked for a direct meeting with La Scala's board of directors.

A fifth union, Cub, is pushing a separate package. Its demands include a €500 payment per employee, a further 10 percent pay rise, shorter working hours, and formal recognition for staff at the Ansaldo workshops — La Scala's scenic-construction facilities.

Which opening night hangs in the balance?

Gounod's Faust is set to open the season on Oct. 20. The cast announced so far includes tenor Vittorio Grigolo, soprano Marina Rebeka and bass-baritone Alex Esposito. La Scala has not said whether a strike would force a postponement, a slimmed-down staging, or an alternate program.

The Oct. 20 date leaves management eight days to settle — or to stage around the dispute.

What other companies have taken similar action?

La Scala is the fourth major opera or orchestra company to authorize a strike in recent months. San Francisco Opera, Minnesota Opera and the Cleveland Orchestra have all taken similar votes in the same period. Of the four, La Scala is the only non-U.S. house — and the only one with an opening night eight days away.

The escalation matters beyond Milan. Workers at three American institutions and one Italian flagship have now reached for the same lever. Theatrical glamour and shop-floor arithmetic rarely mix well on opening night.

Whether La Scala's board sits down with the unions before the curtain rises is the only question that matters — for Grigolo, for the cast, and for the rest of the European houses watching from a careful distance.