CLEVELAND — Contract talks between management of the Cleveland Orchestra and its musicians weren’t hitting all the right notes, leading to a strike that lasted several days.
But on Sunday, a new three-year contract was agreed to, just as the orchestra prepares for an important trip out of the country.
“We are pleased to announce that we have agreed on a three-year contract that will address our concerns about auditions, injury prevention in the workplace and fair compensation,” said Elayna Duitman, a longtime violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra who also chaired the negotiating committee for the Cleveland Orchestra Musicians.
Several members of the committee spoke Monday outside Severance Hall, the permanent home of the orchestra, and thanked supporters for standing by them.
“The members of the orchestra are the musical guardians of this orchestra. And we stand on the shoulders of those who came before us and started this road to help bring the orchestra to worldwide renowned,” said Jonathan Sherwin, vice president of Local 4 of the American Federation of Musicians.
The three-day strike resulted in two canceled shows, one in Cleveland and the other in Michigan. Those with tickets can contact the respective box office for next steps.
The new agreement, according to Orchestra Management, includes a 5% per year pay increase, bringing the base compensation from the current $165,516 to $191,620. Musicians agreed to transition to a high-deductible HSA-qualified health plan and will get more of a say in who they end up performing alongside.
"A musician cannot be hired unless a majority of the musicians sitting in on the auditions approve that moving forward for consideration by the music director,” Duitman said. “That is a huge win for us and a true culture change in the Cleveland Orchestra."
Musicians also said they’re pleased with a renewed focus on safety.
“When there are vacancies in string sections — the players in those sections will have some extra time off to prevent overuse injuries,” Duitman said. “Currently we have 8 vacancies in the orchestra and there are no auditions scheduled for this year, so this will address the overuse injuries that we see being problematic this year.”
Kathleen Collins, a violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra, said all of the factors the union fought for were about keeping the orchestra a top-tier organization.
“And we were so gratified that we were able to convince our management to convince the board that those non-economic matters that we were trying to achieve,” Collins said.
While both sides still disagree on whether a strike was necessary, a 24-day European trip was in jeopardy and may have been the tipping point in reaching an agreement.
"I think so,” Duitman said. “I mean a European tour is a big deal and involves a lot of planning, so I’m very happy that we’re going to be going on this tour."
Duitman said orchestra members are set to leave Tuesday and have concert programs scheduled in numerous countries, among them Germany, Greece, France and Belgium.
In a statement about the agreement, the Cleveland Orchestra’s President & CEO André Gremillet said, in part:
“Our musicians are the very core of this institution. This agreement ensures that we will continue to attract and retain the very best orchestra musicians in the world in the years to come. We are extremely fortunate to be in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, where a great quality of life is matched only by the extraordinary generosity of our community. We look forward to continuing our work together for the benefit of this wonderful community we are proud to serve and call home.”
Damon Maloney is a Cuyahoga County and We Follow Through anchor at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @DMaloneyTV, on Facebook DamonMaloneyTV or email him at Damon.Maloney@wews.com.
