“The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s new labor contract with its musicians announced on Friday is historic on several levels,” writes Janelle Gelfand in (11/6) Cincinnati Business Courier. “ ‘We’ve been able to quickly restore the salaries and provide modest, successive increases over a multi-year period. But the really groundbreaking piece is just a fundamentally different approach to the work rules,’ said CSO president and CEO Jonathan Martin. The new, three-year agreement immediately restores salaries to pre-pandemic rates with annual raises totaling 8% by the end of the contract…. It restarts the hiring process for nine vacant positions in the orchestra…. A new task force comprised of musician and management leadership will review how musicians are recruited and the processes for auditions, tenure and retention…. [The agreement] significantly alters work rules to maximize flexibility and efficiency in scheduling…. The musician work week traditionally consisted of eight, 2.5-hour ‘services’ encompassing rehearsals and concerts. It will now be based on weekly hours…. ‘The challenges presented by performing during the pandemic underscored the shared need to update the way we do business together,’ said Paul Frankenfeld, CSO associate principal viola and president of Local 1 of the American Federation of Musicians.’ ”
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