“After two more days of contract negotiations with Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra management this week, musicians said some progress was made,” writes Barry Shlachter in Thursday’s (11/5) Star-Telegram (Fort Worth, Texas). “ ‘Musicians presented a second financial counterproposal, and we are awaiting management’s response,’ Kenneth Krause, head of Local 72-147 of the American Federation of Musicians, said in an email. He did not provide details of the union’s proposal…. In an email to the Star-Telegram on Thursday, Amy Adkins, CEO and president of the orchestra, said, … ‘The Association’s primary focus right now is to address a history of structural deficits, triggered by the recession, in order to stabilize our budget.’ … Negotiations are scheduled to resume on Nov. 17. The musicians have been playing without a contract since July 31. They originally requested a $3.5 million increase over three years to make up for a 13.5 percent salary cut in 2010, of which about 5 percent has been restored. They later revised the proposal by offering to delay the hikes for 12 months…. The orchestra’s administrators responded with a reduction from 46 paid weeks to 43. They maintain that represents a 6.5 percent cut, while the musicians say it is 23 percent with inflation factored in.”
Posted November 9, 2015
