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.
Negotiations
A Voice From Academia Weighs In On Atlanta
On 9/11/2012, Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas Dean Peter Witte published a letter at his Posterous site that was originally composed to the editorial board of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The letter examines his perspective on the current ASO work stoppage and it is a worthwhile read in that Witte is a voice inside academia, an executive administrator, and the son of a current ASO musician.
A Bad Idea In Any Economic Environment
The Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article on 9/7/2012 by Graydon Royce that reports details from a revised St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) proposal. Although it appears that both sides seem to sauntering toward some middle ground, one aspect of the latest SPCO proposal jumps out in that they want to create a two tier pay system for musicians: $62.5k/yr for existing members and $50k/yr for incoming musicians.
Indianapolis Locks Out Musicians And Cancels Concerts
According to a 9/8/2012 press statement from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO), the organization announced it failed to reach an agreement with its musicians; as a result, the organization canceled concert events scheduled to occur on September 14 and 15 as well as September 21-23. Shortly after the cancellation announcements, the ISO musicians asserted they have been locked out by ISO management and both sides initiated PR campaigns to begin framing …