In Thursday’s (10/25) Plain Dealer (Cleveland), Zachary Lewis reports, “Union musicians and the Cleveland Orchestra management reached a tentative agreement Wednesday evening. The two sides announced they had worked out a three-year agreement that is retroactive to Sept. 3. Details about the contract were not available. The contract is between about 100 members of Local 4 of the American Federation of Musicians and the Musical Arts Association, which is the governing organization of the Cleveland Orchestra. The union is expected to vote on the new pact in the next few days. … Gary Hanson, executive director of the orchestra, was unavailable for comment Wednesday night. [Bassoonist and musicians negotiating committee chairman Jonathan] Sherwin declined to outline raises, health benefits and other particulars before union membership voted on the agreement. However, Sherwin described the deal as “not concessionary” and said he didn’t anticipate difficulty getting it ratified by the musicians. The previous contract, approved in January 2010 and retroactive to September 2009, included a two-year pay freeze followed by raises. … The new contract, if ratified, would expire in September 2015, freeing the orchestra to focus on artistic initiatives and ongoing efforts to attract new and younger listeners.”
Posted October 25, 2012
