New Haven Symphony Orchestra Musicians Vote to Authorize Strike

Over a year of negotiations later, the orchestra’s musicians have organized a strike vote amidst requests for wage increases

Represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 400, musicians of Connecticut’s New Haven Symphony Orchestra (NHSO) claim they have been negotiating with management since April 2022. 

“[We] have been facing increasingly difficult financial times. We have been working for 18 months without a contract,” the NHSO musicians posted on Facebook in October 2023 alongside a sample support letter. “Over the last four years, our wages have barely increased, with an average of less than 2% per season, even as we deal with an aggregate inflation rate of 22% since the last phase of our contract began.”

“It has been a slow, difficult process. Management's offers have been far below even a cost of living increase, and in addition, have included unreasonably harsh changes to our working conditions,” they continued. 

“We resolved our 2018 contract in a state of compromise and we would like to do the same moving forward. Almost all of us continue to work several jobs to piece together a living, even as the cost of travel from one job to another spikes with the rise in gas prices and other transportation costs,” they added. “The President and CEO of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra continues to benefit from large raises each year, while the percentage of our budget that is spent on musicians is at an all-time low.”

Subsequently, the musicians have voted to authorize a strike should negotiations stall. Additional bargaining sessions have been scheduled this week to discuss salary and other mandatory items.

“We have been in really long negotiations with the union and we were shocked to find yesterday that they were talking about a strike because we have been making progress,” NHSO’s CEO Elaine Carroll said in the Hartford Courant. “We have our family holiday concert this weekend, so we are continuing to negotiate.”

According to Carroll, management’s latest contract proposal comprised a total wage increase of 22% over four years, including an immediate 9% increase upon ratification, and a 14% increase in travel reimbursement.

“Progress has been slow, but ongoing, over the course of many months,” Carroll said, asserting that the offers have exceeded those of other major national orchestras. “Substantial raises have been offered since the very beginning of the contract negotiations.”

Additionally, the musicians claimed that while the NHSO received a $14 million donation from the estate of James D. English — NHSO’s largest-ever gift — it was not reflected in their wages, despite it resulting in a budget increase of $2.2 to $2.7 million, according to the Hartford Business Journal (HBJ).

“The NHSO did not receive $14 million,” Carroll responded. “The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven received a very large gift that benefits several organizations in the community of which the NHSO gets a share of the proceeds over time. It takes about five years for the gift to fully capitalize and expend its expected distribution which is about 4.5% of that. But the NHSO did not get a check. We don’t have access to $14 million. What we do have, and with huge thanks to the English family, is a guaranteed income in gratuity from investments related to that gift.”

In their previous contract for 2018 to 2022, NHSO musicians allege their wages rose 6% while Carroll’s salary rose 19%, and that their salaries reflected 23.5% of the 2022-23 budget — below the average of peer orchestras. 

“We, the musicians, wish nothing more than to continue providing excellent music for our community, but stagnating wages make it difficult for us to accept an engagement with the NHSO when we are offered work elsewhere,” they wrote in a recent Facebook post. “Our CEO has said, ‘Thanks to the English family, there will always be an orchestra in New Haven.’ Management’s actions during these negotiations will put the NHSO and its 128-year history of excellence in jeopardy.”

In response, Carroll stated that due to impacts of the pandemic on NHSO’s budget, the board agreed to operate at a deficit over several years so that its musicians will be adequately paid.

“It’s no secret, but if COVID didn’t happen our budget would have increased 20%,” Carroll explained. “The raise we have on the table for the musicians is over 22%. We want to share the benefits with them. What happened under COVID is our income budget hasn’t changed at all and income is overall down. 

“Donations, audience, ticket sales continue to be way down,” she added. So our $2.2 million budget from when we received the gift has stayed about the same because of these pressures. We are operating in a deficit, but we will continue to give raises and ensure the community the amount of concerts they are used to, despite the fact our income hasn’t changed.”

“If there are no meaningful discussions, job actions will be scheduled for the Messiah concerts on Dec. 16 and Dec. 17,” NHSO musician and orchestra committee member Andrew Trombley said in the HBJ, while asserting that the strike authorization still stands. “We hope that it does not come to [a strike], as the musicians wish nothing more than to perform and to share our craft with our community.”