“Three months before the expiration of the current three-year contract covering musicians of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, management and players reached a collective bargaining agreement to extend that contract for another year,” writes Tim Smith in Tuesday’s (6/14) Baltimore Sun. “The quietly negotiated deal gives the musicians a raise, while also providing continuity.… President and CEO Paul Meecham … leaves shortly to become president and CEO of the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera. ‘Being in this transition between CEOs, we realized that if we were to get a new CEO in September and contract talks were going on, the timing would just be off,’ said BSO Board Chair Barbara Bozzuto…. The only change in the extension of the current contract between management and players … involves compensation. The contract goes into effect Sept. 12, when the players will receive a 1.33 percent raise. An additional raise of 2.63 percent begins May 1, 2017…. Minimum base salary will reach $79,800, a 6.4% increase over current figures…. Said violinist Greg Mulligan, chairman of the Players’ Committee in the BSO, ‘I want to give Barbara Bozzuto and board members a lot of credit for putting so much time and positive energy into the organization to help us out.’ ”
Posted June 15, 2016
