He is mostly concerned for the patrons tonight.’ The strike is the first by CSO musicians since 1991. Although their contract expired last Sunday, the orchestra played opening night Thursday and a free concert Friday in Millennium Park. But contract negotiations broke down Saturday, officials said. Rutter said the current average salary of CSO musicians, who have a base salary of $145,000, is $173,000. An offer that would have paid musicians a base salary of $151,000 in the final year of the contract was ‘the last, best and final contract [offer and] would have kept the members of the CSO among the best compensated in a U.S. orchestra.’ But Steve Lester, a string bass player and chairman of the CSO members committee, said a ‘tremendous increase’ in health-care costs would be a compensation cut for some.”
Posted September 24, 2012
