For those precious few who are still interested in the Boston Symphony saga we’ve been posting about over the past month, news arrived this week that the BSO musicians have agreed to a new contract through the 2028-29 season, with over 94% of musicians voting to ratify. The agreement averts a strike that was unanimously authorized by the musicians on Saturday, which would have been the first strike in the BSO’s 145 year history.
Notably, the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) does not contain any language promising the possible reinstatement of Andris Nelsons as music director. So much for all of that.
Among other key takeaways as reported this week by the Boston Globe:
- The musicians will receive an annual 4% raise (4.5% in year 3), with the guaranteed base salary rising to $230,000, highest among US orchestras
- Their guaranteed yearly pension increases to $94,000, also highest in the field
- BSO musicians will now hold six of the 12 spots on the music director search committee, with any successful candidate requiring a two-thirds (4 out of 6) supermajority of both player and board member votes.
- New terms require that the Players Committee be informed prior to the termination or non-renewal of titled conductors
- A new “Artistic Liaison Committee” will meet monthly with the musicians to discuss programming and guest artists
- There will be at least one annual meeting between the players and the Board of Trustees to ensure that key artistic and personnel decisions aren’t made in a vacuum.
- All key artistic decisions will ultimately remain under management’s control, including CEO Chad Smith and the yet-to-be-named Chief Artistic Officer, succeeding the retiring Tony Fogg.
According to Smith, “This agreement marks an important milestone for the BSO and reflects our shared commitment to artistic excellence. It allows for a level of transparency about program planning that has never existed at the Boston Symphony, or probably any orchestra. It will allow for real collaboration about what happens on our stages.”
Judging from the reaction on certain websites and social media, many of the red rose-wearing Sunshine Patriots feel they’ve been duped, their collective outrage a mere bargaining chip for the BSO players to secure higher pay – and a bit more say-so – for themselves. Given the Players Committee quick capitulation, reinstating Andris was never a realistic possibility, despite the voluble protests from several prominent BSO musicians. (Under the terms of the CBA, they could technically renominate Nelsons. But, to paraphrase Groucho Marx: Why would Nelsons want to join a club where he’s no longer a member?)
Bottom line: money talks, ranting walks.
The BSO, which just wrapped up their Tanglewood season last weekend, can now enjoy a few weeks off before opening night at Symphony Hall on September 17, with Nelsons conducting Brahms’ 4th symphony and the Elgar Cello Concerto with Yo-Yo Ma. Hopefully by then, everyone will have put the red roses to bed.