{"id":2952,"date":"2009-08-06T10:58:49","date_gmt":"2009-08-06T17:58:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/?p=2952"},"modified":"2013-02-07T19:52:23","modified_gmt":"2013-02-08T03:52:23","slug":"more-cuts-at-us-orchestras","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/08\/06\/more-cuts-at-us-orchestras\/","title":{"rendered":"more cuts at US orchestras"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Minnesota Orchestra and Houston Symphony have just concluded negotiations with their musicians that have resulted in substantial cuts in wages, either via pay cuts, unpaid furloughs, or both.<\/p>\n

In Minnesota [from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune<\/a>]:<\/p>\n

Musicians at the Minnesota Orchestra have agreed to concessions in the face of financial pressures on the organization. The deal saves about $4.2 million — from salary, pension reductions and frozen positions — over the remaining three years of a contract that expires in 2012.<\/p>\n

The plan involves pay cuts totaling $1.8 million. The orchestra will also delay filling open positions, which saves another $1.8 million. Reducing pension contributions to 5 percent of salary from 7 percent will save $600,000.<\/p>\n

Musician salaries make up 51 percent of the orchestra’s annual budget.<\/p>\n

President and CEO Michael Henson said the 95-player orchestra has 10 positions open, including that of concertmaster following the departure of Jorja Fleezanis. That post will definitely be filled, Henson said. The new agreement allows the orchestra to leave an average of six positions open over the course of the deal.<\/p>\n

In Houston [from the Houston Chronicle<\/a>]:<\/p>\n

The Houston Symphony announced Friday that it will shutter administrative offices next week, furlough musicians and reduce conductor’s salaries next season to save nearly $900,000.<\/p>\n

The cuts will not change the concert schedule for next year, said Matthew VanBesien, the symphony’s executive director and CEO.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have tried in every possible way to preserve the core of what we do,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The symphony’s administrative staff of about 50 had been told last spring to expect the unpaid week.<\/p>\n

Symphony management and the musicians’ union Friday morning signed an amendment to their contract. It requires the 86 musicians to take two unpaid furlough weeks between October and May.<\/p>\n

In addition, Music Director Hans Graf, Principal Pops Conductor Michael Krajewski and Associate Conductor Robert Franz agreed to an 8 percent to 10 percent pay cut that will result in more than $45,000 in savings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Minnesota Orchestra and Houston Symphony have just concluded negotiations with their musicians that have resulted in substantial cuts in wages, either via pay cuts, unpaid furloughs, or both. In Minnesota [from the Minneapolis Star-Tribune]: Musicians at the Minnesota Orchestra have agreed to concessions in the face of financial pressures on the organization. The deal […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":303,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[186,2],"tags":[407,177],"class_list":["post-2952","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-labor-issues","category-the-orchestra-world","tag-minnesota-orchestra","tag-negotiations"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pa8kC-LC","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7893,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2012\/09\/30\/minnesota-musicians-counter-offers-rejected\/","url_meta":{"origin":2952,"position":0},"title":"minnesota musicians’ counter offers rejected","author":"Charles Noble","date":"September 30, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Press release from the Minnesota Orchestra musicians: BREAKING NEWS: Management Rejects Two Musician Counter Offers Minneapolis \u2013 The management of the Minnesota Orchestra rejected two counter offers by the Musicians today. Musicians have been making counter offers to avoid being locked out at midnight tonight. Management seems determined to lock\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "labor issues"","block_context":{"text":"labor issues","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/labor-issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2623,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/06\/01\/philly-orch-players-take-cuts\/","url_meta":{"origin":2952,"position":1},"title":"philly orch players take cuts","author":"Charles Noble","date":"June 1, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Philadelphia Orchestra under Charles Dutoit (Chris Lee photo). The Philadelphia Orchestra's musicians have agreed to delay a slated 4.8 percent pay raise in their current contract as well as accept the temporary elimination of their Electronic Media Guarantee (EMG) and other work rules and benefits concessions. Following the trend of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "labor issues"","block_context":{"text":"labor issues","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/labor-issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"philpic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/06\/phillyseason460px-400x266.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5127,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2010\/07\/29\/severe-cuts-proposed-in-detroit\/","url_meta":{"origin":2952,"position":2},"title":"severe cuts proposed in detroit","author":"Charles Noble","date":"July 29, 2010","format":false,"excerpt":"This came over the PRNewswire today (thanks to Elaine for bringing it to my attention): Detroit Symphony Musicians Targeted for Deep Slashes; Will Other Symphony Orchestra Musicians Also Be Under Gun? DETROIT, July 29 \/PRNewswire\/ -- Salary cuts upwards of 28 percent, drastic cuts in their health insurance, elimination of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "administration"","block_context":{"text":"administration","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/administration-the-orchestra-world-music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3104,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/09\/11\/oso-contract-details\/","url_meta":{"origin":2952,"position":3},"title":"oso contract details","author":"Charles Noble","date":"September 11, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Here's a very succinct summary by Barry Johnson that is better than anything that I could cobble together: After a summer of negotiations, the Oregon Symphony Association and the union that represents its 76 musicians have reached an agreement that trims $1.4 million in pay and benefits from the symphony's\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "administration"","block_context":{"text":"administration","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/the-orchestra-world\/administration-the-orchestra-world-music\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7891,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2012\/09\/29\/minnesota-musicians-reject-last-contract-offer\/","url_meta":{"origin":2952,"position":4},"title":"minnesota musicians reject ‘last’ contract offer","author":"Charles Noble","date":"September 29, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"From the Minnesota Star Tribune: \u00a0 The Minnesota Orchestra is on the brink of its first work stoppage since 1994. Union musicians voted unanimously on Saturday evening to reject what management had described as its final contract offer. The two sides will meet Sunday to see whether they can resolve\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "labor issues"","block_context":{"text":"labor issues","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/music\/labor-issues\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2305,"url":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/2009\/04\/08\/more-cuts-for-orchestras\/","url_meta":{"origin":2952,"position":5},"title":"more cuts for orchestras","author":"Charles Noble","date":"April 8, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"UPDATE 4\/08 [link] The Utah Symphony\/Opera cut 11.5% of of their benefits plus Keith Lockhart takes 10% pay reduction. [link] The Atlanta Symphony musicians have reopened their previously negotiated CBA (which ran through 2011) and will be taking an 8.8% pay cut by the end of 2011 (the first drop\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"scissors","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/04\/scissors-400x221.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2952","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/303"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2952"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2952\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2952"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2952"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nobleviola.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2952"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}