A new labor agreement has been ratified between union musicians and managers of the Cleveland Orchestra.
The contract, which will be retroactive to Aug. 31, was announced Friday. The previous contract, which was signed in 2012, had already expired. The new contract will be in effect through the 2017-18 seasons.
According to the orchestra's chief financial officer, James Menger, "There's a lot of momentum going right now, and nobody wanted to disrupt that." Menger, who is also the lead negotiator, added: "This allows that momentum to keep going."
This new contract is between about 100 members of the Local 4 of the American Federation of Musicians and the governing body of the orchestra, which is known as the Musical Arts Association, led by Dennis LaBarre.
According to bassoonist Jonathan Sherwin, chair of the musicians committee, the round of negotiations was "somewhat more contentious" than in 2012.
Sherwin also claimed 72% of the majority ratified the contract, which dwindles down to what he called a growing gulf between musicians' salaries at the Cleveland Orchestra and other major ensembles.
"We have been keenly aware of a widening gap between our compensation and those of our peer orchestras," he said. "We were successful in stopping that widening."
Sherwin and Menger confirmed the contract will allow yearly increases in weekly remunerations and includes benefits such as retirement and a more improved working environments during tours.
The base pay, which is privy to the public, is pegged at about $120,000.
The musicians from both parties also agreed to provisions on recording and broadcast, higher shared health-care premiums and a donation of 12 services over throughout the contract's duration. These include performances the orchestra can earn, such as concerts or other appearances, at home or on tour,
"We're very pleased that they were willing to address the professional concerns that we had," Sherwin said.
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