Posts tagged Musicians
Cleveland Orchestra musicians go on strike as contract talks remain unresolved
September 25, 2026 // The musicians' union is seeking a 25% total salary increase over three years. Cleveland Orchestra President and CEO André Gremillet said management cannot agree to that increase and said the two sides remain far apart. “We're really far apart,” Gremillet said. “In order for us to move with our offers, they need to move down. The whole point of negotiation is it is a give-and-take process. You cannot have only one side giving.
San Francisco Opera Cancels Opening Night After Musicians Strike
September 15, 2026 // The labor action forced the opera to cancel as patrons were finding their seats, and threw the season of one of the nation’s premier companies into limbo.
Boston Symphony Orchestra and musicians extend contract for 48 hours, delaying possible first strike
August 26, 2026 // The Boston Symphony Orchestra says it agreed with its musicians to a 48-hour extension of their collective bargaining agreement, allowing more time for negotiations to head off what could be the first strike in the ensemble’s 145-year history.
Special Feature: How Public Employee Unions Built California’s Most Powerful Political Machine
July 13, 2026 // In California, public employee unions are often among the most influential organizations helping determine who becomes governor, mayor, county supervisor or school board trustee. They endorse candidates. They contribute millions of dollars to campaigns and independent expenditures. They provide campaign volunteers, voter outreach, mail programs, and political infrastructure that many candidates could not easily replace. By the time contract negotiations begin, the relationship between labor and management has often existed for months or years. That does not mean elected officials simply surrender to union demands. Many negotiate in good faith and work hard to protect taxpayers while fairly compensating public employees. But in government, the officials responsible for approving compensation packages are frequently supported by the same organizations representing the employees who will benefit from those agreements.
Local orchestra members one step closer to unionizing
April 25, 2026 // The group decided to unionize under the American Federation of Musicians in the spring of 2024. However, their status has not been formally recognized by TCVO’s board of directors.
Breaking News Strike Update – Tentative Deal Reached Between Equity and the Broadway League
October 21, 2025 // No one has called for a strike quite yet. Actors' Equity Association, representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, has argued for new a Broadway contract that ensures safe staffing, humane scheduling, sustainable working conditions, and paying fair share of benefits. Local 802, representing thousands of highly skilled musicians in New York City, is bringing similar issues to the table: fair wages that reflect Broadway’s success; stable health coverage; and employment and income security.
Harris Pushes Gig Workers, Contractors into Corporate Jobs with New Rule
September 25, 2024 // America already has too few people working. If the employment rate were the same as it was before the COVID-19 pandemic, 2.9 million more people would be working today. The last thing Americans need is another regulation that makes it harder to make a living and to afford the rising cost of living. Although the Biden-Harris regulation has only been in effect since March, and it’s too early to fully study its effects, the employment-to-population ratio dropped by 0.3 percentage points between March and July. This decline represents a loss of 700,000 workers.
Rachel Greszler: 64 million Americans risk losing work under Biden administration rule
January 30, 2024 // The group Freelancers Against AB 5 compiled a list of more than 600 professions that have been negatively affected by independent contracting restrictions, and Americans for Tax Reform documents more than 600 personal testimonials of workers who’ve been harmed. Karen Anderson, the founder of Freelancers Against AB5, testified to federal lawmakers about children’s theaters and nonprofit youth sports clubs closing their doors; sign language interpreters unable to provide ADA-mandated services to the deaf; and professionals having to move out of state to maintain their livelihoods.
As Musicians Start Talks With Studios, Hollywood Labor Leaders Lend Support In Picket
January 22, 2024 // The program - which featured music performed by AFM brass musicians and speeches from labor leaders including Teamsters Local 399 secretary-treasurer Lindsay Dougherty, Writers Guild of America West vice president Michele Mulroney and L.A. County Federation of Labor president Yvonne Wheeler - took place hours before the AFM was scheduled to begin negotiations over new Basic Theatrical Motion Picture and Basic Television Motion Picture contracts with the AMPTP in an office just steps away.
San Antonio Symphony to dissolve after board, union fail to strike labor deal
June 21, 2022 // The San Antonio Symphony will soon be no more after a unanimous vote from its board of directors. The board announced the dissolution June 16 and said it will file for chapter 7 bankruptcy. "The assets of the symphony now lie in the hands of a trustee who will liquidate them, pay what creditors remains, and close the doors," the board said in a statement on its website. Symphony Society of San Antonio, Mary Ellen Goree, bankruptcy