Musicians of the Tucson Symphony Orchestra.
In Friday’s (9/29) Arizona Daily Star, Cathalena E. Burch writes, “Tucson Symphony Orchestra musicians will see their wages rise by 16.3% over the next three years, according to terms of the new collective bargaining agreement between the musicians and the orchestra. The agreement, made public on Friday, also increases the orchestra’s share of musician healthcare premiums by 5% each year through Aug. 31, 2028, according to Alana Wiesing, president of Local 33 of the American Federation of Musicians representing TSO musicians. The orchestra finalized the agreement in early September and was expected to announce it … at Friday’s season-opening concert … Wiesing, now in her seventh season as TSO’s principal timpanist, said she and her colleagues will see their per-service rate go up 4% this year, 5% next and 6.5% in the final year of the three-year agreement. The … agreement levels the playing field for substitute players, restoring their pay rate to equal that of permanent orchestra players…. TSO President and CEO Paul Meecham said the fact that the orchestra was able to elevate musician pay ‘gives you some indication that we feel confident that we can afford to do that. Financially, we’re getting stronger.’… The orchestra early this year received an anonymous $9 million bequest for its endowment fund.”
