Symphony Society Rejects
Musicians' Breakthrough Proposal
Five-Year Proposal would have secured unprecedented stability, security and labor peace
| San Antonio, TX - June 16, 2007 - The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony regretfully announce that the Symphony Society has rejected a breakthrough proposal for an unprecedented five-year labor agreement. This agreement was offered to the Society by the musicians' democratically elected negotiating team on June 12, 2007, after exhaustive review and consideration of the events of three months of negotiating. This proposal would have offered the Society the exceptional stability, security, and labor peace of a five-year contract, while allowing very conservative growth.
Since negotiations commenced in March, the parties have reached tentative agreement on a number of non-economic issues. On economics, the Society made a new offer on June 7. That offer represented the first and only time the Society has moved from its initial economic offer, except for repackaging the same basic amount of compensation offered. Meanwhile the musicians have progressively and repeatedly moved from their initial and subsequent offers in an effort to find common ground.
Whereas at one time the parties were $2 million apart over the course of a projected three-year agreement, that difference has been reduced by 90%, almost completely by motion from the musicians.
The musicians' negotiating team has reviewed the events of three months of bargaining and has reconsidered all issues and alternatives exhaustively. In both economics and non-economics, every element of the five-year proposal expressed not a mere preference, but an essential need.
The rejected proposal represented very steady and slow growth, an average 5.7% per year. It would have increased the season to 30 weeks by Year 4 (adding only one additional week per year). It would have also returned the size of the orchestra to its pre-bankruptcy complement of 77 by year 5. To achieve these two very important improvements, very minimal increases in weekly salary, health care allowances, pension and other benefits were proposed.
The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony agreed to remain here during bankruptcy reorganization on the faith that the Society would come through for them in the next contract. The Society's rejection of the musicians' very conservative and moderate proposal, which would have offered the organization stability and security for an unprecedented five years, demonstrates an unwillingness to accept partnership with its most precious resource, the talented professional musicians who serve this community so well.
On June 2, 2007, the Orchestra members voted to authorize a peaceable Union work stoppage upon expiration of the current contract if agreement on a satisfactory new contract is not reached. In the arena of labor-management relations, the peaceable withholding of labor is the only last recourse lawfully available to employees. The musicians do not seek and do not relish the prospect of a work stoppage. The current contract expires August 31, 2007. |
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| The San Antonio Symphony is the city's resident professional orchestra. Our impact reaches far beyond our home at the Majestic Theater. We educate, inform, entertain and infuse our community with music of the highest quality.
Please help by writing a letter expressing your support of the musicians to: David Green, President & CEO San Antonio Symphony PO Box 658 San Antonio, TX 78293-0658 greend@sasymphony.org |
3 comments:
n regard to your press release, I was not aware that the SAS went bankrupt 4 years ago but in comparison to symphonic musicians in cities like LA, New York and Philadelphia I think that is not a fair comparison. The markets, the per capita income and and the amount of support for the arts in San Antonio are no where in the ball park of America's largest metropolitan areas. SA is not a cultured city and while educating the populace on the arts should be a mission of the SAS, if the interest isn't there, it is difficult to justify salaries in comparison with cities whose arts programs are prosperous. The Majestic theater seats roughly 2400 people. There are no classical symphonies who ever sell half of the house and the majority of Pops performances sell 3/4 or less. While $26K is a meager annual income and I couldn't live on it...I think the performers need to be realistic and perhaps look at a better way of doing business. Out door concerts might be beneficial - but the South TX weather is not always cooperative for out door venues. And while the last season was a great improvement with shows like Tito Puente Jr, and the Bugs Bunny Pops, they still have a long way to go before the Symphony can even remotely claim popularity or success.
Dear Roselea,
Our goal in presenting the figures concerning the rankings of other metropolitan areas was to simply raise the fact that San Antonio is a great city and is becoming an even greater city. The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony do not expect to be at the same compensation rate as that of the New York Philharmonic or the Chicago Symphony. However, we do expect to be compensated fairly and reasonably, and the ranking of US cities relays that San Antonio can support a vibrant symphony orchestra. Also of note, we were completely honest in our presentation that San Antonio ranks 29th in population in US metropolitan areas. From that data, we are still below the cities' orchestras that are represented in that data bracket (ie Salt Lake City-Utah Symphony $57,720). Also, a recent article by Mike Greenberg in the San Antonio Express-News brought up the fact that San Antonio has five Fortune 500 companies. Salt Lake City has just one. We believe as San Antonio becomes an even greater city that the San Antonio Symphony should likewise become an even greater symphony. As in any other field, better pay keeps great talent, and better pay attracts great talent.
To your comment about the outreach of the symphony, the San Antonio Symphony is an orchestra that already reaches out to the community. From Sounds of Summer concerts to Young Peoples Concerts, the symphony is engaged in reaching out in a relevant manner to the San Antonio population. As the symphony continues to grow, you will see more of the symphony in the community. Each year, more free community concerts are added. For example, last season a Memorial Day concert and a special concert at San Fernando Cathedral were new to the symphony's concert line-up. We have also worked with the local arts organization, Arts San Antonio. In July, members of the symphony performed for Arts San Antonio's presentation of the Royal Ballet of Covent Gardens.
Every organization has room to grow. I believe that over the next four years many of your concerns and comments will be addressed.
thank you nice sharing
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