Washington National Opera Ratifies 2-Year Agreement

On June 1, 2011, the musicians of the Washington National Opera Orchestra ratified a two-year agreement that runs from September 1, 2011 and continues through August 31, 2013.

The Washington National Opera was in dire financial straits and facing bankruptcy until it was rescued by affiliating with the Kennedy Center. This affiliation was complicated and was later revealed to be contingent upon the result of this negotiation. For these reasons, negotiations commenced and were concluded much earlier than in previous years.

The Opera has reduced its offerings in recent years from eight productions to five. Musicians bowed to the inevitable by agreeing to reduce their annual and weekly guarantees, and offered provisions that allowed the Opera, and its new partner the Kennedy Center, greater flexibility as they seek to increase audiences and re-grow the donor base. These concessions were traded for wage increases that will give musicians an even greater benefit if the Opera and Kennedy Center are successful.

  [2010-11] 2011-12 2012-13
Hours of rehearsal/performance
 [380 hrs.] 341 hrs. 342 hrs.
WAGES:
     
Annual Salary
[$40,128] $37,510 $38,749
Weekly Salary
[$1,848] $1,705 $1,756
Hourly Rate
 [$96] $100 $103
AFM-EPF
[was 11.5%] with adoption of rehabilitation plan and additional contribution of 1.035% total contribution increases to 12.535%
Seniority
paid per week/per year in five-year increments up to 25 years -
  [$8/wk] $8/wk $8.50/wk
Orchestra Size
 61 musicians    
Vacation
Vacation pay of 10% is included in annual and weekly salaries, and is in lieu of vacation days.
Sick Leave
  • A day in which an entire service is missed will now count as a sick day (previously all services in a day had to be missed.)
  • The Opera may designate one production per year in which all personal leave will be unpaid.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

  • New provisions allow the Opera to use split orchestra during weeks when the Opera is performing in the Kennedy Center Opera House, and a reduced orchestra in other venues during weeks when not in the Opera House (although scheduling must still occur within the 20 or fewer weeks permitted each season.) This will allow the Opera to make more complete and efficient use of the orchestra’s employment guarantee.
  • Weekly minimum guarantee of 17.5 hours is reduced to 15.5 hours.
  • Provision allowing three “partial weeks” (the weekly minimum is halved) per season has been reduced to one time during the life of the agreement.
  • The Opera may now audio-archive each production and create one local radio broadcast of each production without additional compensation, provided no one else involved in the production receives additional compensation.
  • Side letter regarding the annual simulcast to Nationals’ Park was incorporated into the CBA.
  • The definition of an “extended” week in the contract – from Monday through the following Tuesday is considered a single week – now allows the inclusion of Saturday through the following Sunday.

Thanks to the negotiating committee: Greg Drone, Chair; Frank Carnovale, Chris Jewell, Uri Wassertzug and Peter de Boor. Thanks also to Local #161-710 President Ed Malaga, Secretary- Treasurer Teresa Gafford, former President John Cusick, and Attorney Leonard Leibowitz.

This bulletin was prepared by ICSOM Secretary, Laura Ross with the assistance of the Kennedy Center/Washington Opera Orchestra ICSOM Delegate, Peter de Boor.