The Nashville Symphony has announced that its musicians have approved a proposal from the Symphony Association that continues to hold their wages frozen at 2008-09 levels through the end of the 2009-10 season. The mid-contract change to the current collective bargaining agreement between the Association and the American Federation of Musicians Local 257, which had been set to expire in July 2012, also extends the term of the musicians’ contract by one year to 2013, while delaying each subsequent wage hike called for in the agreement by one year. The decision will translate to more than $1 million in savings to the organization. Second violinist Laura Ross, who also serves as the orchestra’s union steward, said, “These actions represent a significant sacrifice that will be felt by the musicians; however, the musicians understood the concerns of the Association, and agreed to help in a significant and meaningful manner.” James C. Gooch, chairman of the Nashville Symphony’s board of directors, said, “Such generosity from our musicians, matched by the sacrifices of the administration, reveals that we are a unified front as we continue to take the necessary steps to ensure long-term stability for the Symphony in the wake of the recent flood damage and the economic recession that began in late 2008.”
Posted June 18, 2010
