In Tuesday’s (10/4) Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), Elizabeth Kramer reports, “The Louisville Orchestra’s management rejected a contract proposal from its musicians Monday night, according to a news release from the musicians, who earlier in the day apparently rebuffed management’s latest contract offer. The moves came as the two sides were locked in intense negotiations that may determine the future of the city’s professional orchestra. The musicians’ news release said their proposal would have cut $750,000 from the previous contract’s musician costs, then maintained a pay freeze for the next five years. It also would have cut the number of weeks in the orchestra’s season and the number of full-time orchestra musicians, all terms management demanded in its contract proposal, the news release said. The musicians’ proposal would have cut the number of players to 57 from the 71 required under their previous contract, which expired in May and cut the number of weeks in the 2011-12 season to 30 from the 37 in the expired contract. … The cost difference between the musicians’ and management’s proposals is less than $190,000 for the contract’s first year and a total projected budget of more than $5 million, the musicians said. Orchestra CEO Rob Birman could not be reached for comment Monday night.”
Posted October 4, 2011
