Cleveland Orchestra

Stepping On Some Toes

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My overall impression of last week’s American Orchestras Summit was quite positive. All in all, the unique setting and absence of traditional host influence resulted in a noticeably different, and constructive, atmosphere for most discussions. I also appreciated the fact that as a panelist and a member of the audience, the room was well lit so everyone could easily see one another. Accordingly, there was one distinct point during my panel …

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Initial Details Of The Cleveland Settlement

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Although comprehensive details in the form of the final agreement language won’t be available for a few weeks or more, some aspects of the new agreement have been made public. Based on information included in a press statement, here’s what can be discerned:

  • Length: 9/2009 (retroactive) – 8/2011; or the 2009/10, 2010/11, and 2011/12 seasons.
  • Compensation: Freeze for the first two years, then a 3% raise in the first half of 2011/12 and an additional 2% raise in the last half.
  • Musicians will not have increased medical insurance premiums (this point was updated @ 9:12am CT).

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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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An Updated Look At Top-Tier Musician Compensation

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With all the news surrounding Cleveland Orchestra’s ongoing labor negotiations, it made sense to revise and double check the base musician compensation figures for the highest budget ensembles. As it turned out, the Cleveland Plain Dealer requested exactly that for an article they published on 1/6/2010 so the timing worked out nicely. As a result of those efforts, I was also able to update and expand the historic compensation review that …

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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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