“Annapolis Symphony Orchestra musicians … now have annual wage increases and a new harassment policy that also covers [employees and] volunteers under a new three-year contract,” writes Selene San Felice in Monday’s (6/24) Capital Gazette (Maryland). “The symphony and the Musicians’ Association of Metropolitan Baltimore announced the new collective bargaining agreement Monday.… The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra’s contract also includes a process for hiring musicians as faculty in the Annapolis Symphony Academy, which just finished its first year. In addition to a 3% increase in base pay in each year of the contract, musicians in titled positions will get additional increases. Mary Plaine, the primary union officer representing both Annapolis and Baltimore’s symphony orchestras, said the harassment policy was a proactive effort … not in response to any incidents … ‘This is what makes this small orchestra great—a persistent sense of collaboration toward artistic excellence uncommon in a community our size,’ Patrick Nugent, the symphony’s executive director, said.… The symphony … of 70 professional musicians [is] led by Music Director José-Luis Novo … ‘The board and management of Annapolis Symphony have a good relationship with their orchestra … they brought that attitude to the bargaining table,’ Plaine said.”
Posted June 25, 2019
In photo: The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra plays at a Pops at the Park free concert at Quiet Waters Park in Annapolis, 2016. (Joshua McKerrow/Capital Gazette File)
