Unfair Labor Charges Filed In Columbus

Musicians of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) filed unfair labor practice charges the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Inc. claiming that the organization is violating the collective bargaining agreement between the Union and the Board by locking out the Musicians of the CSO on June 1, 2008 and for failing to bargain in good faith with the Union in an effort to negotiate a successor agreement for next season. A copy of the musicians’ press release detailing the charges is available here. Meanwhile, the musicians continue to produce summer concerts. One upcoming event on July 26, 2008 features former CSO conductor Alessandro Siciliani. For more information about the concert event, visit www.mcsconcerts.org.

About Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house.

I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why.

In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu.

For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

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