While Still Painful, Short-Term Concessionary Agreements Are The Best Option For Most Orchestras

The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra recently announced a 30 percent cut in musician wages for the rest of 2020 and the 11/2/2020 edition of the San Francisco Chronical published an article by Joshua Kosman that provides important content. This is not a new deal, rather, a reopener, which is when both parties agree to amend terms in an existing agreement. The agreement’s full term is through November 2022. Given that the …

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The Lyric Opera Of Chicago Fires the First Shot In A Labor War

The latest entry in the round of COVID triggered labor disputes is from The Lyric Opera of Chicago. The organization released a 14:38 video that says it is intended for company members that features General Director, Anthony Freud, and Board Chair, Sylvia Neil. I say intended because it really seems designed more for donors and patrons as the duo spend the entire time talking about how bad of shape the organization …

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A Matter Of Shared Sacrifice As Layoffs And Furloughs Increase

When the housing bubble fueled economic downturn hit, we heard a great deal about the concept of shared sacrifice. This is where one group of stakeholders won’t be asked to make larger concessions than others. While the concept was implemented with varying degrees of sincerity, groups that engaged in a meaningful approach to shared sacrifice tended to reap the benefits of improved relations and accelerated recovery. As COVID-19 layoffs and furloughs …

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Examining The Lyric Opera Orchestra Settlement

On Sunday, 10/14/2018 the Lyric Opera of Chicago (LOC) and its musicians ended a week-long strike with a new three-year agreement. Instead of the customary joint press statement announcing the news, each stakeholder released their own notice. While LOC’s statement failed to reference any terms, the musicians’ release covered a few highlights and based on that information, it seems clear the musicians conceded to most of the employer’s demands. Here’s a …

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Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra Goes On Strike

Adaptistration People 179

At 10:30am CT, the musicians of the Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra (CLOO), represented by the Chicago Federation of Musicians (CFM), released a press statement announcing they are on strike against their employer, Lyric Opera of Chicago (LOC). Why They Went On Strike According to the musicians’ statement, the decision to strike was due to the following LOC demands: 1) “Cutting the number of Orchestra musicians by eliminating five positions.” According to …

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