In Monday’s (4/1) Nashville Business Journal, Jamie McGee writes, “In addition to negotiating with bank lenders concerning $102 million in debt, the Nashville Symphony is facing upcoming negotiations with the Nashville Musicians Association. The symphony’s collective-bargaining agreement with the association expires at the end of July, and the window for negotiation [began] in March, said association President Dave Pomeroy, adding that labor negotiations have not yet begun. ‘We are in a wait-and-see mode,’ Pomeroy said. ‘We have a good relationship with symphony management, and we look forward to them getting their situation resolved so we can have some constructive conversations.’ The current labor contract was a five-year agreement that was reopened and extended in 2009, adding a year of no-pay-raise to help the symphony meet its obligations after the financial crisis unfolded in 2008, Pomeroy said.” In a separate prepared statement, the musicians association said “it does not plan to publicly discuss its financial negotiations until a conclusion is reached on the symphony’s refinancing plan. ‘We realize that we will not escape a discussion about the current economic position, but we will do so in a professional, respectful and considerate manner behind closed doors,’ the association said in the statement.”
Posted April 2, 2013
