The board of directors and musicians of Orchestra Iowa have ratified a new three-year collective bargaining agreement, signed on November 14, 2016 and in effect through June 30, 2019. The contract at the Cedar Rapids-based orchestra includes a 7.2 percent increase in the minimum base wage over three years, plus increases in travel stipends for musicians. The contract also allows for greater support of musicians’ needs to prepare and perform concerts on stage and in the community. Orchestra Iowa operates with an annual budget of approximately $3 million and is now in its 95th year of continuous operation. In addition to performing concerts, the orchestra operates the Orchestra Iowa School and Opus Concert Café, and manages ticketing operations for the Paramount Theatre. It has a full-time administrative staff of eleven, a part-time staff of nine, 27 school faculty members, and a 35-member board of directors. Jeff Collier is the orchestra’s CEO, Timothy Hankewich is music director, and Bruce Western is secretary of the American Federation of Musicians Local 137, which represented musicians during recent negotiations.
Posted December 2, 2016
