Write a Letter, Show your Support!

The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony regretfully announce that the Symphony Society has rejected a breakthrough proposal for an unprecedented five-year labor agreement. This agreement was offered to the Society by the musicians’ democratically elected negotiating team on June 12, 2007, after exhaustive review and consideration of the events of three months of negotiating. This proposal would have offered the Society the exceptional stability, security, and labor peace of a five-year contract, while allowing very conservative growth.

Since negotiations commenced in March, the parties have reached tentative agreement on a number of non-economic issues. On economics, the Society made a new offer on June 7. That offer represented the first and only time the Society has moved from its initial economic offer, except for repackaging the same basic amount of compensation offered. Meanwhile the musicians have progressively and repeatedly moved from their initial and subsequent offers in an effort to find common ground.

Whereas at one time the parties were $2 million apart over the course of a projected three-year agreement, that difference has been reduced by 90%, almost completely by motion from the musicians.

The musicians’ negotiating team has reviewed the events of three months of bargaining and has reconsidered all issues and alternatives exhaustively. In both economics and non-economics, every element of the five-year proposal expressed not a mere preference, but an essential need.

The rejected proposal represented very steady and slow growth, an average 5.7% per year. It would have increased the season to 30 weeks by Year 4 (adding only one additional week per year). It would have also returned the size of the orchestra to its pre-bankruptcy complement of 77 by year 5. To achieve these two very important improvements, very minimal increases in weekly salary, health care allowances, pension and other benefits were proposed.

The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony agreed to remain here during bankruptcy reorganization on the faith that the Society would come through for them in the next contract. The Society’s rejection of the musicians’ very conservative and moderate proposal, which would have offered the organization stability and security for an unprecedented five years, demonstrates an unwillingness to accept partnership with its most precious resource, the talented professional musicians who serve this community so well.

On June 2, 2007, the Orchestra members voted to authorize a peaceable Union work stoppage upon expiration of the current contract if agreement on a satisfactory new contract is not reached. In the arena of labor-management relations, the peaceable withholding of labor is the only last recourse lawfully available to employees. The musicians do not seek and do not relish the prospect of a work stoppage. The current contract expires August 31, 2007.