In Thursday’s (8/16) Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Howard Pousner writes, “Atlanta Symphony Orchestra musicians have offered to cut their compensation by 11 percent to help balance the organization’s annual budget, but there is a catch: They want the ASO staff to take an equal cut. Facing a deadline of midnight Aug. 25 to reach agreement with ASO management on a new collective bargaining agreement, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Players [Association] (ASOPA) met with management representatives on Wednesday. In a statement released Wednesday evening, the players said they submitted a broad-ranging proposal that would be sufficient to cover the orchestra’s projected shortfalls for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons. ‘We have offered to reduce the size of the orchestra, reduce the individual compensation of musicians, reduce the number of work weeks, and share health care costs with management,’ players association president Daniel Laufer said in the statement. ‘Our comprehensive solution calls for the staff to share the reduction with us in the coming seasons to help stabilize the future of this great orchestra.’ … The ASO has operated with annual deficits ranging $5 million to $6 million in recent years, with its accumulated debt mushrooming as a result. Management projects $20 million accumulated debt by the end of fiscal 2013 and has said it is rapidly reaching its borrowing limit.”
Posted August 16, 2012
