“On January 25, the Vermont Symphony Orchestra voted to unionize,” writes Amy Lilly on Tuesday (2/6) at Seven Days (Burlington, VT). “The Boston Musicians Association, which is the Boston local of the American Federation of Musicians, will represent the orchestra. In negotiations, the VSO will be collaboratively represented by BMA and the Greater Springfield, Berkshire County and Vermont Musicians Association—the geographically nearest AFM local, in Springfield, Mass.… The BMA already represents a number of orchestras that range from the salaried Boston Symphony Orchestra to … Portland Symphony in Maine and Cape Symphony in Cape Cod, Mass. The latter two are comparable in size to the VSO, which is also per-service…. Several musicians … noted that there was already good communication between the musicians and the management and board.” Said VSO Bass Trombone Gabriel Langfur, “ ‘The way I see this decision is that … we’re joining that larger community [of unionized orchestras] and accessing its resources. Another part is education—what’s comparable at other orchestras, but also what is unique to the VSO.’ ” VSO Executive Director Ben Cadwallader said that “the VSO management, board and musicians ‘all want the same thing: to build a cherished, radiant artistic institution.’ ”
Posted February 9, 2018
