San Francisco Symphony and Musicians Approve a New Contract

Good news: the SFS board and the musicians have approved a new contract. Here's the press release:

SAN FRANCISCO, November 26, 2018 —The San Francisco Symphony (SFS) announced today that the Board of Governors and Musicians of the Orchestra have approved and ratified a new 4-year collective bargaining agreement. The new agreement runs through November 26, 2022 and was reached prior to the expiration of the existing contract. The agreement guarantees musicians annual increases to minimum weekly scale and pension benefits that maintain the San Francisco Symphony’s leadership position among American orchestras.

“This agreement is an investment by musicians, board and staff in the future of one San Francisco Symphony,” said SFS President Sakurako Fisher.  “It recognizes our musicians’ incredible artistry and vital contributions to our community while also supporting the long-range financial plans adopted by the Board of Governors.  As importantly, it allows the SF Symphony to plan for future dynamic growth and impact from a position of financial strength and optimism, which can only be done together, hand in hand.”

"The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony are pleased to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement which reaffirms our place among the top orchestras of the world,” said David Gaudry, Chair of the Musicians’ Negotiating Committee. “The contract recognizes this stature and will allow our orchestra to achieve even greater artistic heights.  We express our deep appreciation to the Board and Administration for their positive and constructive dialogue at the negotiating table, and for their willingness to take creative steps that guarantee our ability to attract and retain the best musicians performing today. This agreement lays a strong foundation for growth and continued success, and we look forward to an extremely bright future of music making in San Francisco.”

“This new agreement represents a shared vision for the future of this Orchestra,” said SFS Chief Executive Officer Mark C. Hanson. “I want to express my deep gratitude to all those who worked to collectively reach an agreement that ensures our ability to be a vibrant, forward-looking, and financially stable organization for many years to come. Our negotiations were conducted in a spirit of collaboration, mutual respect, and with a shared approach to problem solving. I want to express my thanks to Dave Gaudry and the musicians on the Committee for their constructive and focused efforts, as well as the Board of Governors and our staff negotiating team for their contributions. This agreement sets the stage for a strong future of labor stability that allows the San Francisco Symphony to focus on what we do best—enriching and serving our community with musical performances of the highest quality, industry-leading initiatives, and meaningful opportunities for engagement.”

The Orchestra’s negotiating committee was chaired by violist David Gaudry and included percussionist Tom Hemphill, flutist Linda Lukas, timpanist Edward Stephan, and violist Matthew Young. Also participating was Kale Cumings, President of Musicians’ Union Local No. 6 of the American Federation of Musicians. Susan Martin of Martin and Bonnett acted as counsel to the musicians. Negotiating for the SFS administration were Chief Executive Officer Mark C. Hanson; Director of Orchestra, Education, and Strategic Initiatives Rebecca Blum; Human Resources Director Gordon Peterson, Chief Financial Officer James Kirk, Associate Director of Executive Operations Elizabeth Shribman, and attorney F. Curt Kirschner Jr. of Jones Day.