New Contract for Hartford Symphony Musicians Includes 20% Pay Increase

In Thursday’s (10/26) Hartford Courant (Connecticut), Christopher Arnott writes, “After 17 months of negotiations, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra reached a collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Musicians Local 400, which represents the orchestra’s musicians, on Wednesday. Among the provisions of the new contract are a 20% pay increase for the musicians and increased annual bonuses for those with seniority. Some clauses that diminished the size of the orchestra in certain circumstances were eliminated. There are also changes in how educational and outreach programs are structured so they are easier to produce. There’s also a bold new progressive element to the agreement. The symphony, which just began its 80th season, is creating a fellowship program to enable more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) musicians. The musicians’ previous contract expired in August 2022. The new agreement is retroactive to Sept. 1, 2023, and will last through Aug. 31, 2027…. The symphony announced earlier this month that it had renewed Hartford Symphony Orchestra music director Carolyn Kuan’s contract … through the spring of 2027. [Symphony President and CEO Steve] Collins said the timing of that announcement was unrelated to the ending of the negotiation with the musicians.”