Picketing Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians. Photo by Fort Wayne Musicians.
“After receiving an extension to consider Fort Wayne Philharmonic management’s final contract offer, Fort Wayne Musicians Association Local 58 members rejected it,” writes Lisa Esquivel Long in Thursday’s (1/12) Fort Wayne Business (Indiana). “Management responded after the extension passed late Jan. 11 by announcing that it would cancel all scheduled concerts and community events through February. ‘In a good faith effort to resolve the strike and bring music back to its stage, the Philharmonic Board of Directors authorized a rare draw on the organization’s unrestricted endowment funds so it could increase the wage offer to Musicians,’ according to an announcement from the Philharmonic. They approved a final deal that included a wage increase of 45.8% over the next four years. However, union members voted unanimously against the deal, according to Players’ Association spokesperson Campbell MacDonald. ‘The Philharmonic’s proposal for job cuts and elimination of our workplace rights is unacceptable,’ MacDonald said in a written statement. “We will remain on strike until the Fort Wayne Philharmonic removes their unnecessary roadblocks to a resolution.’… Ticketholders to … the canceled performances will be contacted.”
