GRS Musicians draw support
Musicians of the Grand Rapids Symphony, which are engaged in contract negotiations with the orchestra, are pleading their case in public.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Grand Rapids Symphony musicians have plastered downtown with signs proclaiming "Support the GR Symphony Musicians."
The reason why is that members of the Grand Rapids Federation of Musicians are in contract negotiations with the Grand Rapids Symphony for a new collective bargaining agreement.
The present four-year contract affecting 50 full-time and 30 part-time musicians expires today.
It's the first, new collective bargaining agreement between players and the governing Grand Rapids Symphony Society since ratification of the most recent contract in September 2011, which followed several years of hardship for the organization.
"We remain committed to reaching a responsible settlement that supports the artistic excellence and long-term sustainability of the Grand Rapids Symphony," said Peter Kjome, president of the Grand Rapids Symphony, on Friday.
Broader issues under discussion include how to grow the organization.
"While there are differences, we're confident that we can reach an agreement so that the growth of the Grand Rapids Symphony will be in-line with the growth of the city," said French hornist Paul Austin, co-lead negotiator for the musicians along with violinist Diane McElfish Helle.
The Grand Rapids Symphony's first ticketed event of the 2015-16 season is on Sept. 18-19 in DeVos Performance Hall.
In between, the musicians of the orchestra, organized as the Grand Rapids Symphony Musicians Association, plan to offer a free concert at the Grand Rapids Public Museum on Sept. 8.
Four years ago, the present collective bargaining agreement froze musicians' wages for the 2011-12 season but provided for pay increases of 2 percent in each of the next two seasons and a 3 percent pay raise this past season.
The previous contract, a two-year agreement ratified in 2009, cut musicians salaries 9 to 14 percent and reduced the orchestra's season from 42 to 40 weeks among other cost-cutting measures.
Negotiations on the new contract began in April and continued during the summer. Since Sunday, Aug. 23, both sides met daily through Friday and plan to resume talks today.
Earlier this week, the Grand Rapids Symphony Musicians Association published its first e-newsletter, proclaiming that its musicians "are so proud to serve as the arts ambassadors of Grand Rapids and look forward to continuing to represent this exciting city for years to come."
Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk covers arts and entertainment for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at jkaczmarczyk@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.