“Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra musicians voted on Tuesday to authorize a strike after the symphony’s management said it planned to implement a ‘concessionary contract’ this month,” writes Andrea Ahles in Tuesday’s (1/19) Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas). “The vote does not call a strike but authorizes the union’s negotiating committee to do so. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association and the union have been in contract negotiations for almost seven months…. ‘There is a huge gap that remains between us,’ orchestra President and CEO Amy Adkins said.… ‘We have reached impasse.’ According to the American of Federation of Musicians Local 72-147, management will implement a new contract on Monday with financial concessions including an 8.4 percent cut in total wages…. After the strike vote meeting, musicians marched to the Bank of Texas building … to deliver a flier to Mark Nurdin, CEO of Bank of Texas, who is chairman of the symphony executive committee. The flier said, ‘Mr. Nurdin: tell orchestra management to come back to the table and negotiate with the musicians!’ … In a post on its website, the orchestra association said there have been 19 negotiation sessions. ‘The parties have reached agreement on a significant number of issues but have not reached agreement on financial issues. ‘The union’s demands would produce a huge deficit that jeopardizes the FWSO’s survival.’ … The latest contract offer will shrink salaries to 2003 levels, the union said.”
Posted January 20, 2016
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra photo by Jeffery Washington
