“Musicians for the Fort Worth Symphony orchestra voted overwhelmingly Tuesday night to authorize a strike, after rejecting a ‘concessionary’ offer from management,” writes Michael Granberry in Wednesday’s (9/7) Dallas Morning News. “ ‘With this vote,’ read the musicians’ statement, ‘a strike can be called at any time.’ The musicians said they accepted a 13.5 percent cut in 2010 to ‘help face recessionary economic conditions. But today,’ their statement read, ‘Fort Worth is one of the most thriving and growing cities in the nation, ticket sales are on the rise and the orchestra is consistently garnering positive reviews. Reducing the budget has already caused musicians to leave the orchestra at twice the rate of the previous decade, and musicians refuse to agree to more damaging cuts.’ Management responded Tuesday night with its own statement, saying, ‘The FWSO is extremely disappointed and surprised that the musicians rejected that agreement and voted tonight to authorize a strike.… The FWSO does not want a work stoppage, but it also has an obligation to operate the orchestra in a fiscally responsible manner.’ … Labor and management … have agreed to resume talks Wednesday morning.… The symphony is scheduled to open its 2016-17 season Friday night.”
Posted September 7, 2016
