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VSO Musicians Ratify New Four Year Collective Bargaining Agreement
Hampton Roads, VA… The musicians of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement on Monday, August 28. The agreement provides for steady improvement in the musicians’ compensation coupled with the ability to utilize the musicians for more community engagement and development opportunities. The agreement also includes an electronic media guarantee (radio and television) that will allow for more broadcasts and recordings. The salary range for section musicians over the period will increase from the current range of $25,500 to $31,300 if all the community engagement services are elected. Other working condition issues such as leave time, rehearsal schedules, etc. were also addressed in the agreement.
The VSO negotiating team consisted of Chief Financial Officer Brad Kirkpatrick, General Manager Jim Bredeson, Operations Director Erica Zenzer (who has since left the VSO) and President and CEO Carla Johnson. The musicians on the negotiating team were Assistant Concertmaster Amanda Gates Armstrong and Bassist Tom Reel, who are co-chairs of the Orchestra Committee, Principal Oboe Sherrie Aguirre, violinist Christine Allison and Principal Timpani, John Lindberg, President of Local 125. The American Federation of Musicians was represented by Nathan Kahn who served as Chief Negotiator.
“The musicians volunteered countless hours,” said Johnson, “preparing for the negotiations that actually began in January, as well as preparing the final document for ratification.”
“While the negotiations had some natural points of tension, the atmosphere of the entire process was open and respectful,” said Johnson. “This allowed for some very creative solutions for the challenges this work presented. I am a veteran of many CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement) negotiations, and this one stands out as an example of how it can be done in a positive way to move the entire institution forward to accomplish our mission.”
“I congratulate the musicians and the staff for turning a typically contentious process into a better method of getting where we all want to go.”
“Positive things have been accomplished with the ratification of this Collective Bargaining Agreement,” said Board Chair Richard Waitzer. “It increases compensation for our musicians over a four year period and it allows us to have more opportunities to bring our musicians out into the community. Overall, this underscores the positive ways the Symphony is moving forward. We still have work to do to financially stabilize the VSO and that will take the support of all the communities we serve.”
Speaking on behalf of the musicians, committee co-chairs Amanda Armstrong and Tom Reel, described the new contract as one that “affirms our continuing commitment to the community of Hampton Roads. Everything that our community deserves: more outreach, more recordings, and great performances, will be delivered at the highest standard. We are very excited to play a vital role in helping the VS0 thrive as the cultural cornerstone of Hampton Roads.
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The Virginia Symphony Orchestra with a complement of 79 professional musicians under the direction of Grammy-nominated Music Director JoAnn Falletta performs 140 concerts annually, reaching 200,000 concert goers every season in venues throughout the region. Our education and outreach programs reach 53,000 students and adult learners every year. The Virginia Symphony Orchestra is the cultural cornerstone of the performing arts in Hampton Roads.
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