Musicians to take large pay cuts in Detroit Symphony contract deal

[Hannah Bell]

Details of the tentative contact settlement between musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and management confirm that the outcome of the six-month strike represents a bitter setback for members of the orchestra and the population of Detroit.

Full details have not been made public pending the ratification vote. However, a knowledgeable source told the WSWS that even though the pay cuts contained in the agreement are not as draconian as those imposed by management last fall, the settlement drops the DSO “out of the front rank of orchestras,” pegging musicians salaries below smaller regional orchestras such as Minneapolis and Pittsburgh.

The source reported that musicians repulsed the two-tier wage system demanded by management, which called for a 42 percent pay cut for new musicians. The new agreement also contains a $198 weekly electronic media guarantee for radio broadcasts, something that was not contained in the previous contract. Management did obtain some but not all of the changes in work rules it wanted, which would have turned musicians into little more than servants at the beck and call of management.

According to a report in the Financial Times, which cited an unnamed musician, the starting salary in the first year of the contract will be $71,080, compared to $104,650 in the previous agreement. Pay would rise to $74,600 in the third year, much less than the $96,000 initially proposed by musicians. With the electronic media guarantee the minimum salary would be about $79,000. An optional community outreach component would add $3,450 per year for work outside that required by the contract.

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/apr2011/dsoc-a07.shtml