Musicians of Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra have voted unanimously to go on strike, citing stalled negotiations with the Kennedy Center, which partially funds and provides a venue and services for the orchestra.
NSO’s union negotiators called for musicians’ wages to rise by 25 percent over the next four years. The Kennedy Center’s counter-proposal is for a 12 percent increase over four years. Most NSO players currently earn about $209,000 annually, according to the center.
The Washington Post’s Michael Andor Brodeur lists comparative wage increases agreed to recently by other major orchestras: 30 percent over three years at the New York Philharmonic; 15.8 percent over three years at the Philadelphia Orchestra; and a rise similar to New York’s at the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
“That pay disparity combined with the high cost of living in the D.C. area make it harder for the NSO to attract and retain talent commensurate with the reputation of the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center itself as a premier performance venue,” reads a statement from the union local to which NSO musicians belong.
A statement from the Kennedy Center terms its wage proposal “generous and fiscally responsible,” and notes that its offer includes improved healthcare and parental leave provisions.
Brodeur’s report for the Post:
Letter V 