A report in Thursday’s (6/7) York Daily Record (Pennsylvania) states, “The Lancaster Symphony Orchestra and the union trying to organize its musicians have moved a step closer to a final showdown in court. Local 294 of the American Federation of Musicians on Monday filed an unfair labor practice charge against the orchestra. The union alleges that the orchestra has refused to negotiate a contract that would cover its approximately 127 musicians. A contract would be the first for the orchestra’s musicians who voted 50-34 earlier this year in favor of unionizing. The orchestra’s action is no surprise, as it had said in April that it would balk at negotiating. The maneuver was needed to start a legal process that eventually will send the five-year labor dispute to a federal appeals court. A federal appeals court will decide once and for all the central question in the dispute—Are the musicians employees or independent contractors? Under federal law only employees are eligible to unionize.… The union organizing effort began in early 2007 with the orchestra contending its musicians are independent contractors.”
Posted June 7, 2012
