Press Statement 10-29-2018
Baltimore Symphony Musicians
October 29, 2018
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Baltimore Symphony Musicians Seek New Contract
The Baltimore Symphony Musicians have been playing without a contract since the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement expired on September 9, 2018.
This follows a period of instability during a series of transitions in the Baltimore Symphony Management that saw consecutive years of vacancies in crucial positions: first, a year without a Vice President of Development, then more than a year without a Vice President of Marketing/Public Relations, and finally seven months without a CEO. During this transitional period, the Musicians agreed to two one-year extensions of the previous CBA to allow the new Management to get up to speed. The 2017 extension was agreed to at the request of the new CEO, Peter Kjome.
Following this agreement, Kjome articulated hopes for an early agreement with the Musicians before a scheduled UK tour. Management canceled scheduled negotiations with less than 24 hours notice in June of 2018, citing financial pressures. Nonetheless the Association proceeded with the highly successful UK tour.
Following the tour, Kjome and the BSO Management were not prepared to negotiate a multi-year contract, as is the typical goal in Collective Bargaining processes. Nor were they able to offer even a one-year Contract to the Musicians. Kjome offered a four-month extension with no effort at meeting the Musicians’ request that the BSO start to comply with the current agreement that calls for minimum of 83 full time musicians or for any improvements in compensation.
The Baltimore Symphony Musicians care deeply about the BSO’s health, its importance to the community, and its vitality as an artistic and educational force. We hope the BSO Management will make a credible offer to the Musicians as we return to the bargaining table tomorrow, October 30, 2018.
Download the Press Release here.
Contact: Brian Prechtl, Baltimore Symphony Musicians, co-chair
(410) 935-7322
[email protected]
bsomusicians.org: http://www.bsomusicians.org/public_html/
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