In Sunday’s (12/2) Palm Beach Daily News (Florida), Jan Sjostrom reports, “The local musicians’ union is calling for a boycott of the Palm Beach Symphony, claiming the organization replaced the majority of its players without just cause. A statement issued Wednesday by the American Federation of Musicians Local 655 … accuses Ramon Tebar, who is music director of the symphony and Florida Grand Opera, of replacing the majority of the symphony’s orchestra with the opera’s musicians, without telling the musicians he was dissatisfied with their performance or giving them a chance to improve. The symphony does not have a collective bargaining agreement with its musicians, who are freelancers employed by Alfredo Oliva, an outside contractor who also contracts players for Florida Grand Opera. … Michael Finn, the symphony’s executive director, said he didn’t know if auditions had been held … The union won’t know how many musicians have been replaced until the symphony’s first subscription concert Dec. 9 at The Society of the Four Arts, [secretary-treasurer of Local 655 Jeffrey] Apana said. … Finn declined to comment on the union’s call for a boycott until the union contacts him directly. ‘I am happy for the opportunity to discuss with them any grievance they have that would trigger such a boycott,’ he said.”
Posted December 4, 2012
