Philharmonic musicians reject latest contract offer
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The Fort Wayne Philharmonic has cancelled concerts and events through February after the musicians rejected the latest offer, according to our partners at WPTA-TV. The musicians, who are seeking a 46% pay increase, have been on strike since December and missed the Christmas concert season.
Fort Wayne Philharmonic management said Tuesday they offered their musicians their “best and final offer.”
Chair of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players’ Association, Campbell MacDonald, told WPTA the final offer from management was “overwhelmingly rejected” by musicians.
Following the contract rejection, the philharmonic cancelled programs through next month.
The Philharmonic says their latest offer included a wage increase of 45.8% over the next four years, which MacDonald said musicians agreed upon. However, MacDonald says the musicians’ union rejected cuts to some full-time positions and other workplace issues they felt were unfair.
According to MacDonald, the musicians’ salaries were cut to $22,000 during the pandemic and haven’t been increased since.
“The Philharmonic is insisting on degrading our workplace rights and is insisting on cuts to full-time positions,” MacDonald said. “They’re unnecessary. We see them as an attack on the quality of this orchestra, the quality of our jobs, our ability to do our jobs affectively.”
However, both parties say they are still optimistic they’ll come to an agreement at some point in the future.