Issue: October 2018
After ten long and painful years, the Musicians and Board of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) agreed to a progressive contract this summer that provides the first real economic gains for the musicians since 2008. Because central Ohio is a large and very prosperous part of our country, it has been difficult and frustrating waiting for this recovery to begin. Many CSO musicians have wondered … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2017
Executive Changes In March, the New York Philharmonic announced that Deborah Borda, longtime President of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, would be replacing Matthew VanBesien as President and CEO, in September. The move represents a return for Borda, who previously served as the Executive Director of the New York orchestra from 1991 to 1999. In Los Angeles she oversaw the construction of the Walt … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2017
The Jacksonville Symphony musicians ratified a new five-year contract on January 25, 2017, eight months in advance of the expiration of the current CBA. This contract marks an extraordinary new direction for the Jacksonville Symphony, all the more so in light of our negotiating history of the last 14 years. It therefore seems fitting to give a brief history of this volatile period to place the … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2017
ICSOM at the Grammys At the 59th annual Grammy awards on February 12, the Nashville Symphony’s album Daugherty: Tales Of Hemingway; American Gothic; Once Upon A Castle won awards in three categories: Best Classical Compendium, Best Classical Contemporary Composition, and Best Classical Instrumental Solo. The last two awards were specifically for Tales of Hemingway, featuring cellist Zuill Bailey. … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2016
When you’re walking the picket line, and a passerby asks, “Why are you on strike?” you need to have a pat answer, the so-called “elevator speech”. Mine goes something like this: “Our management doesn’t like our pension, which they blame for not having enough money. They want to end it, even though that will cost more money in the short term than staying with the current plan, so they want us to … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2016
The Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra ratified a four-year agreement on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, thereby ending a strike that began on September 8, 2016. The musicians will return to work on December 26. It is a contract with clear growth and no cuts. This is a major victory, especially considering where negotiations started 18 months ago—in June of 2015, our management had … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2016
Indianapolis Builds Momentum The Musicians of the Indianapolis Symphony have ratified a new three-year contract. The new agreement, reached over a year in advance of the current deal’s expiration, runs through the 2019-2020 season. After suffering through a lock out in 2012 and two recent concessionary contracts, the musicians will see their annual salary increase 9.3% over the three years, … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2016
Detroit Honors Exceptional Giving The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) recently celebrated the extraordinary generosity of Peter Cummings and his wife Julie, whose accumulated giving to the DSO has exceeded $10 million. The Music Box, a multi-purpose entertaining space, was renamed the Peter D. & Julie F. Cummings Cube. The Cube is located within the Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Music … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2016
The contract negotiations in Grand Rapids that culminated in a tentative agreement in mid-March and a ratified contract in April were like a thousand-piece jigsaw: the solution, which seemed impossible even after a great deal of struggle, suddenly and miraculously fell into place after incremental and seemingly insignificant progress. This negotiation made history for us. The story of this … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2016
Since our new President and CEO Scott Showalter joined us in the fall of 2014, the past two seasons at the Oregon Symphony have been marked by an upswing in fundraising, ticket sales, and general morale. The organization has transformed from one that endured two full seasons (2012-13 and 2013-14) with no official executive leadership and the threat of complete collapse, to one that has seen an … [Read more...]
