It has been a couple of weeks since a copy of the red-line contract proposal from the Minnesota Orchestra admin to the players was given to me. Since then I’ve been busy with my own night job, various and sundry, and quite honestly it has taken this long for me to read some sections of it without having my jaw drop wide open. I was all set to start analyzing it but realized that there is some unfinished business that needs to be attended to. So, for those of you who missed the Overture ……….
First of all, what is the goal of this series of posts? I will NOT be covering the question of remuneration. I would like to focus on the contract and what it means concerning the working conditions. Besides, I take a very, very dark view of the whole M.O. fiscal scene. Trouble has been brewing there for several years, and if pressed I will insist that everybody – that’s everybody – involved shares the blame. Musicians, Board, and Admin. But more specifically, I believe that the various negotiation committees, the board chair, the board finance committee, whoever was in charge of negotiations/fundraising on the admin level, and anyone who had anything to do with the fiscal policies of the past 8 years should be ashamed of themselves. It is tempting to suggest that they all be publically flogged in front of Orchestra Hall but fortunately we do not live in a theocracy……… yet.
Please remember that the reason the M.O. is in trouble is not money. The reason is egotism, self-centeredness, arrogance, short-sightedness, and a lack of a community focused vision. While there is plenty of blame to spread around it is the response to this crisis by the admin/board which is deplorable. Which leads to #2.
Secondly – some updates. The musicians of the M.O. put on a very successful concert with Mad Stan Skrowaczewski on Thursday. Friends of mine attended (I was busy) and were thrilled. Let’s hope this keeps the flame alive. Unfortunately, it also spawned some misplaced crowing by someone along the lines of “we put on this awesome concert and did the job that management is supposed to, so how come they can’t do their job?” I’m paraphrasing, but you get the gist. It reminds me of the person who walks into a casino for the first time, hits blackjack, and thinks that he has a “system” and his life is about to be made. One concert is one concert. One season is 100 concerts, and that is a completely different kettle of fish.
Meanwhile, the insistence on the part of the admin that there will not be an independent audit is proving to be their Achilles’ heel. It’s not quite the level of “of course we will find WMDs in Iraq, and to suggest otherwise proves that you’re un-American,” but it’s getting there. Through letters to the editor and public statements the public, the press, and various government reps are homing in on that one point and demanding that the board/admin show us the money.
Personally, I find the admin’s position quite puzzling. In Edmonton, the members of our Board vote every year for an independent audit. It’s not required, but when you’re accepting money from the public and the government it’s certainly prudent. And every year comes the moment in our AGM when a representative from our auditing firm gets in front of the mic and swears on a a replica of Lord Stanley’s Cup that the audit is safe and sound. If I was running a multi-million dollar nonprofit I would insist on an independent audit every year. Shucks, I’m sure you could get a really cracking firm to do it pro bono just for the PR.
Third, our friends across the river at the SPCO have run out of time as well. The Twin Cities is unique in that we have two such orchestras with an international stature. To have both locked out is a real blow to the Minnesota pride. Plus, it’s just damn depressing. Rumor has it that musicians from both orchestras who are able are spread across the width and breadth of this land playing in other orchestras. Indeed, the excuse from the musicians of the SPCO that they couldn’t organize a vote on the “last/best” because many of them would not be able to attend rings true.
Lastly, there is one more thing that has to be said, and this is directed to my musician colleagues everywhere. If you are expecting me to jump on the “the fundraisers in Development could just raise more money, they’re obviously lazy, and volunteers could do a better job” wagon you are going to be sorely disappointed. Every time contract disputes come up I hear this line or variations on it, and it is time to publically call this malarkey out. These fundraiser people do their job without the benefit of the protections that are in your contract. On average they don’t get the vacation time you do. In the larger institutions they certainly do not get paid what you do, and if they prove to be incompetent they can be fired. No 2 year “process of evaluation.” Just fired. Prying money out of people is tough, hard work, and we musicians get to do what we do because of the hard work of these people. Let us not belittle them or their accomplishments. That will in no way help us to navigate the current crisis in the orchestra world. I’ll put the professionalism of my merry little band of fundraisers in Edmonton up against your professionalism any day of the week. And now I’ll get off of that particular high horse.
Late seating is now over. It’s time to start in on the main act. All aboard the Red Line Express!
1 thought on “Late Seating”
Comments are closed.