CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Cleveland Orchestra and its musicians have agreed on a new, three-year labor contract that includes a one-time, $5,000 agreement ratification bonus for each of its members. The deal takes effect immediately and runs through the 2025-26 season.
“Ensuring that Northeast Ohio and the city of Cleveland continue to have America’s finest orchestra is always the top priority of the musicians of the Cleveland Orchestra,” said Kathleen Collins, chair of the orchestra committee, in a statement. “To that end, we were pleased to be able to obtain solid wage gains, address inflation, and retain our excellent healthcare plan so that our compensation package remains competitive. We were able to work collaboratively with management to find solutions which helped both sides.”
In addition to the bonus, the musicians, members of Local 4 of the American Federation of Musicians, will get a 4-percent increase in minimum weekly compensation this season, followed by 3-percent increases in the remaining two years of the contract. In return, musicians will contribute more to healthcare premium costs each year.
“In the midst of challenging macroeconomic conditions and lingering post-pandemic uncertainty, both parties approached these negotiations with a constructive mindset, a willingness to problem-solve creatively, and a genuine desire to tackle important institutional challenges realistically,” added orchestra president and CEO André Gremillet. “At the end of the day, our musicians are at the heart of everything we do, and we are confident that this new contract is both fair and beneficial for our Orchestra and its people. I look forward to continuing our partnership and journey together as we build an ever-stronger future for our treasured organization.”
For the first time, the musicians were represented in the negotiations by an all-female orchestra committee, led by Collins, a second violinist and 28-year member of the orchestra. Besides the pay increases, management and musicians agreed to changes to working conditions that will benefit both groups, the release said. Improvements include new protections in the audition process intended to support fair, equitable and inclusive hiring practices. Candidates’ names will be redacted from their resumes and screens will be used to obscure their identity.
“This affords anonymity to the musician and an environment that allows for hiring determinations to be focused on the artistry and experience of the musician,” a union spokesperson said in an email to cleveland.com.
The new contract arrives in time for the orchestra’s performances of Tchaikovsky’s second symphony this weekend at Severance Music Center.