ELLA ABBOTT / WBOI
Fort Wayne Philharmonic Musicians held a rally with supporters to ‘restore the music’ on the Allen County Courthouse Green on Saturday, another protest of management’s treatment of musicians over the past year.
Several speakers from both around the community and the country came to show support for the musicians, decrying management’s use of the pandemic to furlough musicians.
Ray Hair is the International President of the American Federation of Musicians. He pointed to orchestras in Columbus, Ohio and Chicago where management worked with musicians to keep working during the pandemic.
“The majority of American symphonic institutions saw their obligations to their communities to sustain their orchestras and continue to care for musicians while the pandemic raged and ravaged all of our lives,” Hair said.
ELLA ABBOTT / WBOI
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Board of Directors Chairman Chuck Surack released a letter to the community today (Tuesday) addressing the ongoing contract and labor disputes between the organization and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players Association.
Contract negotiations stalled in August of last year. A major point of contention has been the number of full-time musicians employed by the orchestra.
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic board of directors have proposed cutting full-time musicians from 63 to as low as 15.
In his letter, Surack says the Philharmonic was never locked in at 15 musicians, but that “the union would not discuss any number less than 44.”