Shreveport Symphony Musicians Reject Contract Offer
On Thursday evening, August 29th, members of Local 116, American Federation
of Musicians voted down the "Concluding Offer" presented to them
by the management of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. The vote was overwhelmingly
against the contract offer.
The members of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra voted down the proposal
because of low wage increases and no effort by the Symphony management to
begin making payments towards benefits, mainly health insurance and pension.
Base wages for a full-time player working an entire 39-week season have
been frozen at $13,359 for the past three years. Part-time players are compensated
at $50.63 per service (a rehearsal or a performance). The Symphony employs
29 full-time players.
The Symphony offer proposed increasing wages by 3% for the 1996-97 season
and 2% for the 1997-98 season. The proffered increase for the first year
amounts to $400.79 in the full-time base wage, or $1.52 per service.
According to OPUS press spokesperson, Andrew Brandt, "After freezing
wages since 1993, management's latest offer was seen as totally inadequate
by the orchestra members and would still have our salaries decreasing -
due to inflation - over a 5-year period. The SSO is in the best financial
shape it's been for many years. They can do better."
The first rehearsal of the new season is scheduled for Sept. 4. The first
concerts, introducing the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra's new music director,
Dennis Simons, are scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 7 and 8. As of Saturday
morning, Aug. 30, no new negotiation meetings had been scheduled.
PRESS RELEASE
August 30, 1996
OPUS
Orchestra Players United of Shreveport
Affiliated with
Shreveport Federation of Musicians
Local 116, American Federation of Musicians
Shreveport, Louisiana
Press Spokesperson:
Andrew Brandt
E-mail: abrandt@afm.org
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