Orchestra leaders and musicians’ unions are at odds in both New York and San Francisco, raising the possibility of strikes and canceled performances on both US coasts at the same time.
In New York, The New York Times reported on labor discussion between the New York Philharmonic and its musicians. The orchestra’s current labor agreement expires Friday after negotiations in April failed to result in a new agreement. Musicians note their compensation has fallen nearly 30% below peer orchestras in Boston, Chicago, and LA, threatening the New York Philharmonic’s ability to attract top talent.
The situation in New York is especially dire amid questions about the orchestra’s culture following misconduct accusations against principal oboe Liang Wang and associate principal trumpet Matthew Muckey. Both musicians deny any wrongdoing and investigations are ongoing.
In San Francisco, members of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) voted to authorize a strike, possibly beginning as soon as today, Sept. 19, when the chorus and orchestra are scheduled to perform Verdi’s Requiem.
Chorus members are pushing back against San Francisco Symphony management’s proposals to reduce the chorus’s annual compensation by 65% and reduce the number of choral programs on the schedule from 8-11 to five. San Francisco Symphony leaders say the cuts are necessary as the organization faces a $12.5 million budget deficit.
According to AGMA, 98.1% of San Francisco Symphony Chorus members in the union cast votes, and 100% of those voted to authorize a strike. Furthermore, 81.1% of unpaid, non-union choristers voted to honor the union picket line.
At the time of publication, no resolution has been found in either New York or San Francisco, and performances at both cities’ flagship orchestras remain at risk.
Update, Sept. 19, 4:40pm EDT: The New York Times is reporting a deal has been reached at the New York Philharmonic, giving musicians a 30% raise over three years and pushing the base salary from $153,504 to $205,000.
