Although Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) management made noises about early negotiations during the 2017-2018 season, they chose instead to invite the musicians, members of Local 40-543 (Baltimore, MD), to participate in a strategic planning process. When the content of the plan suddenly took a sharp turn, the musicians objected strongly to the reports new focus on financial stability and the lack of any substantive discussions of the orchestra complement, currently experiencing more than 20 vacancies. The report has now apparently been secretly adopted by the BSO s board of trustees, behind the backs of the musicians.
Management had requested a bargaining date in late June but then canceled it with a 24-hour notice. An informal exploratory meeting between the two sides in July yielded no positive results. The August vacation, along with a tour to Great Britain, prevented any real negotiations until September 6 - three days before the contract was due to expire. At this session, management proposed an extension until January 15. The musicians offered a slightly different four-month extension, with restoration of the complement to the agreed upon 83 full-time positions. Musicians then also offered to discuss a long-term progressive deal. Management said no.
BSO musicians began their new season without a formal extension in place. The musicians continued to show up for work and distributed leaflets prior to their concerts, alerting patrons to the fact that the orchestra was working without a contract and asking supporters to follow the musicians on their social media sites.
When BSO musicians sat down at the bargaining table October 30 for only their second negotiating meeting (the first since their contract expired September 9), they were walked through a complete rewriting of their collective bargaining agreement by managements lawyer. When the union asked to see a "red-line" copy of the proposal, they were handed a 77-page document on which every single page had a change.
Publication information: Article title: Baltimore Symphony Musicians Fight for Their Orchestra. Contributors: Plaine, Mary - Author. Magazine title: International Musician. Volume: 117. Issue: 1 Publication date: January 2019. Page number: 10. © American Federation of Musicians. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.