It’s Time For Your Civil Discourse Recertification

Adaptistration People 150

It’s that time of year again, where labor disputes begin charging up emotions and on more than a few occasions, those emotions come spilling out in blog comments and social media. At best, emotionally driven comments designed to lash out only serve to detract attention from any meaningful thoughts or observations contained in the comment and at worst, can tarnish the reputation of colleagues or fellow stakeholders. That said, there’s nothing …

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Jacksonville Symphony Declares Impasse, Imposes Contract

According to an article by Charlie Patton in the 9/18/2012 edition of the Florida Times-Union, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra’s (JSO) board has declared an impasse and will impose the terms of its most recent offer. That offer includes a 20% reduction in base compensation, four less weeks in the season, and no less than 45 percent cuts in health care benefits (the figure for the latter increases via family coverage). It is unknown if any work rule changes are being imposed.

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Louisville Sneaks By Under The Radar

In the hubbub of Indy, Atlanta, San Antonio, and the Twin Cities it might have been easy to miss the excellent article by Elizabeth Kramer published in the 9/1/2012 edition of the Louisville Courier-Journal that reports on the orchestra’s return after a protracted work stoppage.

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That’s An Excellent Question

On 9/17/2012, reader Jonathan Gresl posted a comment to ask if I could write an overview of the differences between defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans and how they interact with the field. That’s an excellent question and I’m happy to oblige.

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How Troubled Orchestras Can Bounce Back And Flourish

WQXR’s latest podcast from their Conducting Business series, which focuses on issues affecting the classical music landscape, includes a discussion about the state of American orchestras and the current rash of labor disputes. The panel includes host Naomi Lewin, Graydon Royce, music critic at the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Jesse Rosen, president and chief executive of the League of American Orchestras, and me.

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