JUST WHEN IT COULDN'T GET WORSE....

This city ought to be able to afford its orchestra

The contract turmoil surrounding the Fort Worth Symphony has reached a new low. As previously reported here, news stories from the Star-Telegram have been slanted toward management. Now, a highly provocative editorial has appeared on those same pages:

Several very smart and dedicated people have worked for more than a year on a new labor agreement between the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Association and its musicians, aiming to continue world-class symphonic music performances begun more than a century ago.

It hasn’t worked. The musicians have gone on strike, and the orchestra’s season-opening performances last weekend were canceled....

The musicians, represented by Local 72-147 of the American Federation of Musicians, are still smarting from a 13.5 percent pay cut they accepted in 2010 to help the FWSO weather the effects of the Great Recession. (Wasn't the nation in the midst of an economic comeback by 2010?)

While frequent references to that cut might help gain public sympathy, that money is gone and won’t come back.

The union negotiating committee worked with association managers and a federal negotiator to develop a new contract offer. Although the committee recommended approval, the musicians rejected it “overwhelmingly,” union representatives said.

The two sides portray the numbers differently, but the rejected four-year contract contained pay cuts in the first year followed by slight increases in later years, putting the musicians a little above their current salaries — which average $62,000 plus health benefits — by the fourth year.

It’s hard to imagine that such an offer, or something very much like it, isn’t the best the musicians can get. Still, they’ve made their position clear.

These smart and dedicated people could be talking about the end of the FWSO.

Is the editorial implying that the musicians are the "smart and dedicated people"? Management all to easily forgets that stakeholders (i.e. the butts in the seats) come to concerts to hear the music. Give them a quality product and they'll be there. Expand outreach beyond the "usual suspects" in the donor pool, and the funds will be forthcoming.

Gary Wortel

Something that is missing in this one-sided media war (circus?) is an important fact: Star-Telegram Publisher Gary Wortel is a member of the FWSO Board of Directors. So, just like we saw in Minnesota so few short years ago, the Board controls the local media......but not all of it.

The Dallas Morning News has offered a much more comprehensive look at the situation. While reiterating the company line, it has offered a different perspective from the side of the musicians themselves:

After years of cuts and irresponsibly refusing to bargain further, the future of the FWSO is now at stake. The musicians continue to call on management to return to the bargaining table in the interest of coming to an agreement and ensuring the orchestra's very existence.

We want our audiences and the citizens of Fort Worth to know how much we regret that we are forced to take this extreme step," said Julie Vinsant, a bassist and member of the musicians' negotiating committee. "We call on our management to come back to the table so that we can continue providing great music for our great city. We are very thankful for your continuing steadfast support....

Read the entire article for the whole story.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article101444512.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/opinion/editorials/article101444512.html#storylink=cpy

Like lemmings over the cliff

Yes, I realize that the film many of us watched in elementary school has been disproven, some of the contents of today's inbox reminded me of days lost past. Today's email from HigherEdJobs contained no fewer than four openings from the University of Hartford: one in woodwinds, two in brass (trumpet and trombone) and one in "the business". It's rather hard to imagine that this is a coincidence. Some of the musicians of the community are jumping ship before it goes down. Yes, the Hartford Symphony CBA debacle was a disaster of titanic proportions.

In Fort Worth, it's business as usual, at least until July 31. The Dallas Morning News had reported on Friday that Fort Worth Symphony, musicians reach ‘temporary’ one-year agreement. Of course it must be noted that the musicians have been playing without a new agreement since July 31, 2015, a CBA that was negotiated three years before that.

FWSO CEO Amy Adkins continues to note the projection for the current fiscal year, including a $650K deficit. Still no report on where that's coming from. For what it's worth, Music Director Miguel Harth-Bedoya clears nearly $400K in salary and benefits.

One thing is obvious. The FWSO Association backed down from their threat of a concessionary contract with an 8% cut in pay. To imply that this damages management's credibility would be an understatement.

There's also trouble in a river city, Trouble that starts with "T", that rhymes with "G", that stands for.... More on this one later.

Future posts also include "Walking the walk" with new music and more.  Stay tuned.