In Wednesday’s (6/1) Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), Elizabeth Kramer writes, “With their contract ending at midnight Tuesday and no agreement for the new season, the Louisville Orchestra’s musicians said they consider themselves to be unemployed as of this morning—and the orchestra without musicians. In a press release issued late Tuesday afternoon, the musicians’ leaders also said they are proposing that the orchestra be placed on the American Federation of Musicians’ International Unfair List, which could fine any union musicians who work for the orchestra without a contract. … Tuesday’s developments followed a meeting Saturday between the musicians and management that failed to reach a new contract. The musicians said in Tuesday’s news release that the orchestra’s chief executive, Robert Birman, said during the meeting that management would attempt to staff concerts with individual musicians working on a per-service basis if no agreement was reached. In an interview early Tuesday, Birman said management proposed a three-year contract on Saturday based on a 30-week season with a total of 71 musicians who would be employed at three tiers that set salaries and number of work weeks.”
Posted June 3, 2011
