In last Monday’s (10/29) Plain Dealer (Cleveland), Zachary Lewis writes, “The Cleveland Orchestra has a new labor contract. Monday morning, the institution announced a new, three-year deal with the musicians had been ratified, bringing the negotiation process to a notably swift and uncontentious conclusion. ‘The achievement of our goal is a great credit to the negotiators on both sides of the table …,’ read a joint statement by Gary Hanson, executive director of the orchestra, and the musicians’ negotiating committee. ‘Everyone feels we reached a productive outcome that provides institutional stability …’ The contract, retroactive to Sept. 3, calls for the musicians, members of Local 4 of the American Federation of Musicians, to receive a 1-percent raise in 2013, a 2-percent raise in 2014, and two extra weeks of paid parental leave, according to a spokesman for the musicians. The musicians, meanwhile, will pay higher healthcare premiums. Additionally, in the continuation of a term from the previous contract, each artist will donate 12 services over the contract’s duration. … With a contract in place until September 2015, the orchestra and music director Franz Welser-Möst can more confidently make long-term plans in an ongoing effort to attract new and younger listeners. They also can focus on eliminating a deficit of $2.7 million and increasing the orchestra’s endowment by some $200 million.”
Posted November 5, 2012
