“The National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint against the [Hartford Symphony], saying it violated its contract by failing to give musicians their schedules for the upcoming season in a timely manner,” writes Mara Lee in Wednesday’s (9/9) Hartford Courant. “The current contract of the Connecticut Valley Federation of Musicians, Local 400, says the symphony is required to tell each musician by May 1 how often he or she will be asked to perform in the upcoming fall-winter-spring season. In an attempt to shrink its deficit, the symphony is seeking to cut the number of performances and rehearsals guaranteed for the musicians. … That reduced schedule has not been written into individual contracts with musicians, because the two sides are still grappling with how much work will be guaranteed. Because those schedules had historically been set by May 1, and the union did not agree to a delay, the NLRB on Aug. 28 accused the symphony of ‘failing and refusing to bargain collectively and in good faith.’ … The complaint does not threaten performances, and the union has not publicly threatened a strike, nor has the symphony publicly threatened a lockout.”
Posted September 9, 2015
