Musicians with the National Symphony Orchestra voted to authorize a strike, which the union said could impact upcoming performances at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
The vote doesn’t mean union members are striking just yet, but the group could strike as early as Tuesday evening, according to a press release from the union.
The artists are part of the D.C. Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710, American Federation of Musicians.
If a strike goes forward, the D.C. Federation of Musicians cited three upcoming performances that could be impacted. These include concerts featuring Sara Bareilles and the Season Opening Gala Concert.
A spokesperson for the Kennedy Center noted that should orchestra musicians decide to go on strike, the upcoming opening gala would be impacted. Other performances could also be affected, as Kennedy Center artists in other unions may not be willing to cross the picket line.
“Depending on strike duration, a work stoppage would impact nearly all performances at the Center and we would be in close communication with our patrons and ticketholders,” Eileen Andrews, a Kennedy Center spokesperson, told WTOP in an email on Tuesday.
The union and the Kennedy Center have been at odds over a contract agreement since negotiations began last May. Their prior contract expired in early September.
What’s the disagreement about?
Musicians are advocating for better wages, arguing orchestra members are making less than their peers in the New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony.
“That pay disparity combined with the high cost of living in the D.C. area make it harder for the NSO to attract and retain talent commensurate with the reputation of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center itself as a premier performance venue,” the union wrote in a news release Monday.
According to the D.C. Federation of Musicians, base wages for union members have gone down by 15% (adjusted for inflation) since five years ago.
The union wants wages increased by an average 6.25% per year over the next four years. It said that bump was “reasonable” and would be on par with other similar orchestras.
However, the Kennedy Center said in a separate news release that a 25% pay increase was not “financially viable.” It’s offering a 12% wage increase that would bring the average musician salary to $209,000 annually.
Andrews called the package “generous,” adding it would make the artists “among the highest paid orchestras in the country.”
“The union’s request of 25% wage increases would mean an additional $10 million more than the generous contract we have offered. That is not fiscally responsible, nor is it financially possible,” Andrews said Tuesday.
The union’s president pushed back against the Center’s opposition to its proposal.
“It is disheartening to see that the Kennedy Center is unwilling to recognize the value of the world-class orchestra these musicians have built and to compensate them in the manner they deserve,” said Ed Malaga, the union’s president.
The union is also looking to make up for some of the wages lost during COVID-19 lockdowns, writing its proposed raise, “would recognize the substantial give-backs the musicians voluntarily provided the Kennedy Center during the pandemic (which amounted to each musician forfeiting a minimum of $60,000),” according to the union’s news release.
During an 18-month closure, the Kennedy Center made no money on tickets. Orchestra musicians received 65% of their contractual salary during an 18-month closure.
But the center said the orchestra musicians weren’t the only employees to suffer pay cuts during the pandemic.
“All Center and NSO employees making a minimum of $75,000 also absorbed pay cuts ranging from 10% to 100% during the Center’s shutdown. To date, no employee at the Kennedy Center or NSO has recouped lost wages,” the Kennedy Center wrote in a news release.
The Kennedy Center also said it covers about half the orchestra’s operational costs, which amount to $50-60 million a year.
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