San Antonio Symphony Musicians Stage Sit-In at City Council Chambers

 

A long-running strike is still playing out at the San Antonio Symphony in Texas. Its players have been on strike since September 7, 2021, after the orchestra's management announced a plan to resolve their ongoing financial problems by reducing the number of full-time, salaried players from 72 to 42.

The musicians whose jobs are on the line would be retained on a part-time, "per-service" basis, with a guaranteed number of performances and pay. However, these players would see their base wage reduced to just $11,250 per annum (to be supplemented with extra performances), and would lose all healthcare benefits.

Players protested the proposed changes by staging a sit-in at San Antonio's City Council Chambers on February 17, 2022. Some held placards that read "We demand better management!" and "We're fighting for a living wage!"

As of March 17, the San Antonio Symphony website released a statement regarding the most recent updates on the negotiations.

"We have been and continue to be in the midst of good faith bargaining, now with the aid of Federal mediators," it says. "We have had three meetings, February 14th, February 17th, and March 8th, with a fourth meeting in the process of being scheduled with the help of mediators.

"To date, we have provided multiple contract proposals and have offered to enter into binding arbitration, similar to the concept outlined in the proposed labor supported Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act," it continues. "We have faith the process will lead to an agreement all parties can support so we can, together, restore live performances for our community, our patrons, and music lovers.

Additionally, in January of 2022, the San Antonio Symphony released its most recent audit report for the previous year, confirming the serious financial issues the organization is facing.

However, a recent statement from Mary Ellen Goree, Principal Second Violinist and Chair of the Musicians of the San Antonio Symphony Negotiating Committee, paints a rather different picture from the management's statement.

"So far, Symphony board and management seem interested only in signing an agreement that satisfies their demands but offers nothing but financial and artistic destruction to the musicians," she writes.

"As of the last bargaining session on March 8th, the board and management were still demanding a significant reduction in the size of the orchestra from the present 72 positions down to 50, resulting in an ensemble too small to perform the great works of Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, even John Williams, all of which sell tickets and fill halls.

"The board and management are still demanding a significant reduction in musicians’ wages, already far below industry standards, which together with demanded cuts in health insurance benefits would leave musicians in penury.

"The musicians are not requesting anything more than a normal contract that will put a complete symphony on stage with similar pay and benefits to those previously negotiated in good faith in 2019."

 

You can view footage from KENS 5 News that shows the musicians protesting at City Council Hall below.