Negotiations – Adaptistration

What Happens When A Contract Expires?

Monday, September 9th, 2019Thursday, September 22nd, 2016 by Drew McManus

Just because the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between an orchestra and its musicians expires doesn’t mean the organization necessarily comes to a screeching halt. Although it certainly adds an additional layer of pressure to negotiations, in most cases, the employer continues paying wages and benefits under the terms of the expired agreement until a new agreement is ratified or imposed. And that’s exactly how the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) describes …

Let’s Talk About The Unionized Environment Within The Orchestra Field

Monday, September 17th, 2018Thursday, October 15th, 2015 by Drew McManus

On 10/3/15, I had the pleasure to return as a guest on Doing What Works with Maureen Anderson, a weekly radio talk show that originates from WZFG AM 1100 and runs on Sundays from 10 to midnight Central on the Radio America network, to talk about the unique unionized environment within the orchestra field. If you’ve ever been interested in a solid overview of how that structure has evolved, how unionized …

Understanding The Difference Between A Strike And A Lockout

Monday, September 17th, 2018Wednesday, August 15th, 2012 by Drew McManus

Whenever labor disputes reach a breaking point, one of the most commonly misunderstood concepts is the difference between a strike and a lockout. The distinction is the first, crucial step in understanding the nature of the dispute. The Basics In the realm of labor law, strikes and lockouts are types of work stoppages. Strikes are initiated by the employees and is when the workers cease work during a labor dispute. Lockouts …

The Negotiation Process: How It Works

Monday, September 17th, 2018Tuesday, August 17th, 2010 by Drew McManus

The first step in understanding how your local orchestra functions as an organization is to understand the basic principles behind the document that deals with nearly every facet of its operations: the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Every major orchestra in America, regardless of union status, has some form of a contract that exists as a result of collective bargaining. This contract governs all issues related to musician compensation, benefits, work conditions, and the dismissal process.

The Negotiation Process: Who Does What

Monday, September 17th, 2018Tuesday, August 31st, 2004 by Drew McManus

This installment of the “Negotiation Process” series will examine the answers to a common misconception about who does what during contract negotiations. Next in this series of articles, we’ll take a deeper look into “who” does “what” during the process. Mary Lo from Washington wrote to ask, “Why do the musicians care about all of this if they just have a lawyer doing their negotiating anyway?” Mary has a typical idea …