The musicians’ bargaining committee at the Cleveland Orchestra: left to right, Elayna Duitman, Eliesha Nelson, Kathy Collins, Isabel Trautwein, Emma Shook. Photo by Jiah Chapdelaine.
In Thursday’s (11/2) Axios Cleveland, Sam Allard writes, “The musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra have agreed with management on a new three-year labor contract. For the first time ever, all five members of the musicians’ bargaining committee are women. The composition is notable in the male-dominated industry of premier symphony orchestras. Roughly 65% of Cleveland Orchestra’s musicians—and virtually all of its principal players—are men. Violinist and committee chair Kathy Collins, a 29-year veteran of the orchestra, told Axios that there had previously never been more than one woman on the committee … This year’s group, she said, represents a significant step forward, not only for gender equity in governance but hopefully in playing as well. Musicians will see wage gains of 4% in the contract’s first year and 3% in the second and third years … Each member will get a $5,000 signing bonus, which Collins characterized as a compromise with management to address inflation. Collins said the committee was not only all women, but also all section string players … The orchestra’s president and CEO, André Gremillet, [said], ‘Both parties approached these negotiations with a constructive mindset, a willingness to problem-solve creatively, and a genuine desire to tackle important institutional challenges realistically.’ ”
