Notes on the ASO Lockout and Aftermath

Letter to the New York Times

The recent contract agreement reached by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra after a lockout by its management reflects similar patterns for symphony orchestras across the nation, seeking to deal with shrinking audiences and growing deficits.  From the perspective that the ASO settlement may be a bellwether for other American orchestras, it is important to recognize the circumstances under which the agreement was reached.  There were unique aspects to the ASO struggle that have caused continuing protests from the musicians and from many of the players’ supporters, including members of the ASO Chorus, a volunteer group of international renown since its founding days under Robert Shaw.

The ASO is not a freestanding institution but part of a larger non-profit organization, the Woodruff Arts Center (WAC) which also includes visual arts, theater, and educational arms.  The ASO Board operates under the “parent” board of the WAC; its Chair is on the Executive Committee of the WAC; and the management of the ASO is responsible not only to the ASO Board but also to the WAC Board.  The WAC Board has final approval authority for all administrative and budgetary actions of its member institutions.

In the recent dispute, the ASO Board, WAC Board and WAC Executive Committee wielded extraordinary power to exact a contract that the players and their supporters found punitive, demoralizing, and artistically damaging.  Some specifics of this wielding of power included the refusal of the Chair of the ASO Board to meet directly with the ASO Players Association (ASOPA) and his directive that other board members refrain from doing so; the Chair refusing the request of the elected ASOPA representative to address the ASO Board at a called meeting at which the representative had a legitimate seat; the ASO Chair warning ASO Board members not to attend a meeting to which they were invited by the ASOPA (only one board member showed up); the President of the ASO addressing the ASO Chorus and admonishing them to remain silent when anyone asked them about the process (“simply say, ‘negotiations are ongoing’”); and virtually controlling the local media through press releases which painted a rosy picture of the agreement reached. 

The WAC used the mounting deficits of the ASO as its reason for demanding the deep cuts:  reducing the number of ASO musicians from 95 to 88; locking out the musicians for 4 weeks; a cut in salaries of more than 17% through the elimination of the summer season and as a result, employing the musicians for 41 and 42 weeks respectively for the next two years. But in the background, and hidden from public view, are debts incurred by the WAC and ASO management from various large-scale building projects, both completed and abandoned, over more than a decade.

The lockout occurred shortly after the ASOPA had made a counter-offer to the ASO management which included $2M in annual concessions that the President of the ASO requested, a counter-offer which was supported by the ASO Executive Board and Management but which then was turned down by the senior leadership of the WAC with threats that regular-season concerts (including the October 27 Carnegie Hall performance) would be canceled.  It became apparent that although the ASO Chorus and others were assured that “negotiations were ongoing”, in fact, the WAC was not willing to negotiate further at all.

The lockout, which included suspension of all health-care benefits, sparked an outcry from many subscribers, donors, some ASO board members, and from some members of the ASO Chorus.

The ASOC Singers and Friends Blog was established in response to the limited and superficial news reporting from local traditional media.  The blog is ‘chorus-centric’; its 200+ posts comprise a complete history of the ASO lock-out.   The September posts tell the story through ASOC member letters to the ASO Board and to WAC, documents, links and articles related to the lock-out, and many original essays.  Today, post-settlement, the blog continues to focus on information related to the ASO and to other orchestras in similar peril in this country.  In a little over two months, the blog achieved 21,700 page views, with growing world-wide participation.  The administrators of the blog are from the ASOC.    http://asocmember.blogspot.com/ 

While looking to help the ASO musicians in a material way during the lock-out, chorus members created t-shirts with the message:  The Music is Ongoing™ (a play on the phrase, “Negotiations are ongoing”), with $10 from the sale of each shirt going directly to the ASOPA account.   Chorus members wear them as an outward visible sign of their continued support, and to honor the musical partnership they value so highly.  As a show of solidarity, chorus members gave the Orchestra their shirts as gifts.  Orchestra members and chorus members now wear their Music is Ongoing™ t-shirts to all dress rehearsals, even to the Carnegie Hall dress rehearsal.  Guest soloists who request them, are given shirts.  People from all over the world are buying them.  Clearly, the message, which speaks for the Art and the Artists, resonates. 

 

Despite the events of this past year, and efforts to compromise the quality of the orchestra’s core excellence, our respective institutions -- the ASO and the ASO Chorus – are committed to maintaining our high performance standards and continuing our creative partnership.   

ASOC Members

Jon Gunnemann

Sally Kann

Laurie Cronin

Cyn DeBold