“The Chicago Federation of Musicians, representing members of the Grant Park Orchestra, has reached a new, tentative agreement with the players’ employers,” writes Nicholas Beard in Wednesday’s (6/12) Musical America (subscription required). “Paul Winberg, president and CEO of the Grant Park Festival, indicated that the new, three-year contract provided improvements both in working conditions and wages. The previous agreement expired on May 31; negotiations concluded on May 22. The season of free concerts open June 12 at Chicago’s Millennium Park in the Pritzker Pavilion. Local union President Terryl Jares added, ‘The negotiations were marked by a willingness of both parties to negotiate a settlement that recognized the unique challenges for orchestral musicians performing in a fast-paced outdoor concert environment, while also acknowledging the challenges and fiscal realities of running a nonprofit performing arts organization.’ ”
Posted June 12, 2019
