“The Fort Wayne Philharmonic board of directors announced Thursday that it has approved a new three-year collective bargaining agreement with the orchestra’s musicians,” writes Terri Richardson in Thursday’s (5/4) Journal Gazette (Fort Wayne, IN). “Represented by the Fort Wayne Musicians Association, American Federation of Musicians Local 58, the Philharmonic musicians ratified the new agreement that is effective retroactively from Sept. 1, 2016, to Aug. 31, 2019. The local musicians have been operating without a contract since the end of 2014. Before the 2013 season, the musicians accepted wage cuts to help the Philharmonic defray a roughly $2.5 million deficit. A concessionary contract reduced the musicians’ season length from 40 weeks to 33, which resulted in a 17.5 percent reduction in wages. Under the terms of the new agreement, the musicians’ salaries will increase, restoring their pay to 2013 levels by the third year of the contract. In addition, two violin positions will be restored to the orchestra within the first two years of the agreement and a third will be auditioned for employment during the 2019-20 season. The agreement also provides changes that increase flexibility in the scheduling of rehearsals and performances.”
Posted May 5, 2017
