Negotiations

BREAKING NEWS: Cleveland Strike Concluded

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After a marathon negotiation session that started on Monday, 1/18/2010 at 12:00 noon and lasted until nearly 7:00am the following morning, the Cleveland Orchestra and their musicians have reportedly reached a tentative agreement. According to sources inside the organization, the musicians plan to conduct a ratification meeting at 2:00p.m. ET, today (1/19/2010). Furthermore, a portion of the Indiana University residency will continue as originally scheduled and additional details will follow as …

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Updates In Seattle

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It was an eventful weekend for stakeholders at the Seattle Symphony Orchestra (SSO) as the ensemble crossed the latest benchmark in their ongoing labor dispute. On Sunday 1/17/2010, the musicians unanimously rejected a contract proposal from management and although they have already passed a strike authorization, the musicians have stated that they do not plan to initiate any work stoppage at the present time…

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Come On Cleveland, You’re Better Than This

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Regular readers know that when we talk about orchestras and new media, one recurring warning is to resist the urge to use new media outlets for press release regurgitation. After all, that’s what press pages at an orchestra’s web site are for. Likewise, using the official organizational new media and social networking outlets to disseminate one-sided information about an ongoing labor dispute is not merely bad form, but ultimately self defeating…

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Cleveland And Seattle: With Bated Breath

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As the orchestra business watches Cleveland and Seattle with bated breath, it is difficult to wonder if events at these two larger budget organizations will have any impact on the business as a whole. And it isn’t just insiders who are paying attention, music critics, cultural reporters, bloggers, and just about any other stakeholder with a social media account is wondering aloud how events will unfold…

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A Worthwhile Concessionary Agreement Part 2

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Part 1 in this set of articles examined the concept of board atrophy, a general deterioration of board stewardship, and how it is impacting an orchestra’s fundraising performance amidst the economic downturn. For the most part, this is every bit as serious a threat to the future of orchestras as the actual economic downturn. Today’s installment is going to examine a recent concessionary agreement at the Utah Symphony & Opera (US&O) that contains provisions designed to combat board atrophy…

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