ASO Musicians Give Short-Term Ground on Orchestra Size, Want Long-Term Growth

The musicians and the management of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra are entering their eighth week of a labor dispute that has seen performances up to Nov. 8 canceled, but the musicians are hopeful their latest proposal can salvage the rest of the season.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Players’ Association (ASOPA) is willing to go into what remains of the season with only the 76 musicians currently remaining with the orchestra. In exchange for this concession, the musicians are asking management to make efforts to expand the size of the orchestra to 81 members by the end of next season and are demanding that the orchestra’s size be increased to 84 musicians in 2016-17 and 88 musicians in 2017-18.

If the orchestra’s financial situation prevents it from hiring new musicians, ASOPA’s proposal would require the orchestra to remain staffed with at least 76 musicians for the next four years.

The size of the orchestra has been the sticking point between the ASOPA and management, which locked the musicians out on Sept. 7, just two years after a previous lockout and collective bargaining agreement.

ASO’s management originally proposed a four-year deal that would see musician pay increased and a revenue-sharing agreement implemented, but would have also forced musicians and their families to pay more for their insurance. The management plan would also have given more flexibility on the size of the orchestra.

ASOPA’s initial counter-proposal was a five-year deal that would have guaranteed raises for musicians, an alternate flat rate contribution requirement for insurance, and a requirement that the orchestra always have at least 90 musicians.

Management and labor have been attempting to work out a deal with the assistance of federal mediators for the last three weeks, but no new deal seemed to be forthcoming and the federal mediators left on Friday.

Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed offered to serve as mediator for the dispute earlier this month, days after the resignation of ASO President and CEO Stanley Romanstein, Ph.D. on Sept. 29.