“The Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera and Seattle Symphony and Opera Players’ Organization have agreed to a three-year contract extension, through Aug. 31, 2018,” writes Melissa Davis in Thursday’s (6/19) Seattle Times. “The current contract was set to expire Aug. 31, 2015; the agreement comes 14 months ahead of schedule…. Terms of the extension, from the SSO: ‘Annual wage increases of 3.2%, 3.1% and 3.6%, respectively, with minimum salaries reaching $98,100 in the last year of the contract. The extension also includes a 6% raise in the post-retirement defined benefit pension, taking it to $31,680 per year. The contract continues to guarantee 47 weeks—87% with the Seattle Symphony and the remainder with Seattle Opera.’ The SSO had a busy year, with the release of discs on its own label, Seattle Symphony Media; a trip to Carnegie Hall to play in the Spring for Music Festival; the premiere of John Luther Adams’ Pulitzer Prize-winning ‘Become Ocean,’ (as well as premieres by local composer Angelique Poteat, Luis Tinoco, Gabriel Prokofiev and Alexander Raskatov, among others); continuation of new programs such as Untuxed and [untitled] and a flurry of global attention for hosting Sir Mix-A-Lot at the recent Sonic Evolution concert, a series that salutes musicians with Seattle ties.”
Posted June 20, 2014
Seattle Symphony photo by Ben VanHouten
