In Friday’s (3/30) Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), Elizabeth Kramer writes, “Louisville Orchestra musicians have agreed to binding arbitration toward a new contract but under several conditions, according to a letter the Louisville Orchestra Musicians Association sent Thursday to the orchestra leadership. The letter says the musicians will work for the 2012-13 season if the orchestra’s board of directors signs a one-year agreement guaranteeing they’d work during that period under the terms of their previous contract, which expired May 31. During that period, the musicians also want a recognized orchestra consultant agreed upon by the musicians and management to review the organization’s operations, finances and long-term plans. … [Louisville Orchestra board president Chuck] Maisch said Thursday afternoon that he had not had time to thoroughly read the musicians’ proposal and discuss it with fellow board members, but that he hoped both sides could agree on an arbitrator. In February, the musicians rejected a detailed management offer that listed five potential arbitrators. The one issue Maisch said concerned him is the musicians’ proposed bridge contract that would mirror the previous one that expired nearly a year ago when the orchestra was in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. ‘Remember the existing organization is what put us into bankruptcy. That already proved to be unaffordable,’ he said.”
Posted April 2, 2012
