from the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra, September 23:

The musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra voted unanimously to reject management's contract proposal on Sunday, September 15, 1996. The final tally recorded the vote as 100-0 against the proposal.

On September 14, the day before the vote took place, the management began informing musicians that health insurance and benefits such as life insurance, instrument insurance, and long-term disability benefits were terminated, effective September 16, and life insurance, instrument insurance, and long-term disability benefits will lapse after September 30, 1996. Under COBRA regulations, musicians have 60 days to decide to pay their premiums for health coverage. Accidental death and dismemberment coverage will lapse on December 14.

Also on September 16, the Association cancelled the first six concerts of the 1996-1997 season, including the Opening Night Concert, scheduled for September 17, three subscription concerts scheduled for September 19-21, the first "Family Concert" of the season, scheduled for September 21, and the first Carnegie Hall concert of the season, scheduled for September 24.

On Wednesday, September 18, at 10:30 a.m., the board's annual meeting was attended by several subscribers, members of the print, radio and television media and more than 75 orchestra musicians. At 12:07 p.m., after waiting an hour and a half while the board conducted business, such as the reading of reports of various committees and nominations and election for the new board, board Chairperson Peter Benoliel entertained questions from the musicians for a limited time. At 12:30 p.m., the meeting adjourned for lunch.

On Saturday, September 21, at 11:30 a.m., 45 orchestra members played a free "Childrens' Concert" at the First Unitarian Church in Center City Philadelphia, 10 blocks from the Academy of Music. Picketers at the Academy directed ticketholders to the church. Approximately 700 persons filled the church in a standing-room only crowd. The first "Family Concert" of the season had been scheduled for that day, but cancelled on Monday, September 16 by the management.

The contract proposal had been presented to the negotiating committee of the musicians of The Philadelphia Orchestra at 11:45 p.m. on Thursday, September12, 1996. There were negotiations that week from Monday, September 9 through late Thursday night. At that time no negotiations had taken place since August 16. Very little was accomplished; the first full proposal from the management was received Monday, and rejected by the committee. Thursday, September12, the negotiations were scheduled to begin at 10:15 a.m. The management delayed until 11:45 p.m., at which time they presented the members with the proposal in final language form. This proposal included many changes which had never been discussed before and were completely new to the negotiations. The meeting adjourned at approximately 3:00 a.m. The musicians (including librarians) met Friday, September 13, with 88 members present, and the committe unanimously recommended rejecting this proposal, with each committee member giving reasons for the decision.

The following is a summary of the important changes proposed by management that the musicians rejected.

Wages:

• 96-97: $1,480/$1,500 (were $1,400/$1,460)
• 97-98: $1,510/$1,560
• 98-99: $1,560 [no increase]/$1,600

EMG

• was $6,000 (95-96){$120/week, 52 weeks}
• New: $2,000 ($40/week), first year only, then $0.

Pension:

• was $1,250/year of service up to max 30 years, $5,000 bonus with 31st year for total max (31 years) of $42,500. Will be $1500/year of service up to 30 years, no bonus, total max of $45,000.

Seniority

• Frozen for two years, then a $5/week increase in the third year.
• Currently, per week: 5-9 years: $30; 10-14 years: $55; 15-19 years: $75; 20-24 years: $90; 25+ years: $110.
• Would be in the third year of this contract: 5-9 years: $35; 10-14 years: $60; 15-19 years: $80; 20-24 years: $95; 25+ years: $115.

Health Insurance

• Co-pay of $20/week to keep indemnity plan, $40/week for family (was $0 co-pay).
• Enhanced PPO [Personal Choice], with out-of-network life max of $2 million. Mental care as under the Indemnity plan currently and adding a vision care plan after Jan. 1, 1997 [both PPO only].
• Lower premiums paid by management for retirees' health plans.

Miscellaneous

• Recording: "The parties agree that either the Association or the Members have the right to re-open this Agreement on the limited subjects of a media guarantee, service conversion for recordings, and/or the contractual changes required to establish a record production company under the auspices of the Association in partnership with the Members..." Also agree to meet within 30 days of the signing of this Agreement and if no agreement "by September 15, 1997, both parties shall have the same rights to which they are entitled on September 19, 1999." This would require the musicians to violate the AFM Phongraph Record Labor Agreement, which was negotiated on behalf of managements by Joseph Kluger, President and COO of The Philadelphia Orchestra. In addition, the orchestra would be authorized to make recordings under the Limited-Pressing section of the Agreement, a section specified for orchestras with smaller budgets than The Philadelphia Orchestra, in itself a violation.
• Tours: Average of one Pre-concert rehearsal/week of tour (standard tour is 3 weeks). These could be 3 consecutive days, notwithstanding travelling on such a day. If management does not relieve the current schedule for the May, 1997 tour, there shall be no pre-concert rehearsals in Rome, Venice, Paris, or Brussels (the currently scheduled consecutive one-nighters). Previously, these rehearsals were only allowed once before, in Lucerne, Switzerland; Salzburg, Austria; and Berlin, Germany on the 1995 Summer Festivals Tour.
• Voting on tours to approve a tour, if not approved, committee of 3 board members and 3 musicians decides, tie vote goes to arbitration.
• Stop-overs also provided from Australia and New Zealand (was Asia and South America only).
• Sabbatical pay increase from 50% to 60% of salary (6 month sabbaticals).
• Extra services, doubling, overtime pay increased commensurate with increases in base salary.
• Rehearsals: Two rehearsals on a single day may be substituted for by one 3-hour rehearsal, with a 25 minute break. This 3-hour rehearsal counts as two rehearsals for the service count.
• Free A-V tapes of educational concerts may be broadcast in area schools with no compensation to the musicians.
  
  

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