Musicians’ Offer to Talk Is Rejected by Solomon

Pointing to a need to first “re-establish trust and confidence,” a San Diego Symphony official declined Monday to negotiate with musicians after receiving a contract proposal from them.

Symphony President Herbert J. Solomon said the Symphony Assn.’s credibility, finances, ability to raise money and to market a season are at such low-water marks that it cannot present a counterproposal or negotiate. He did say that he hoped to be in a position to bargain by late spring.

“We’re not in a financial position to fund the first payroll,” Solomon said. “It would be a cruel hoax if we raised false expectations if we negotiated at this juncture.”

Musicians’ spokesman Gregory Berton said Solomon is using a delaying tactic.

Solomon’s “strategy is to punish us some more,” Berton said. “When we’re hungry enough, he’ll come back and make some piddling offer.

“There isn’t any excuse for the Symphony Assn. sacrificing 65 musicians’ lives, their children and perhaps their homes just so they can take their time getting their financial plan in order.”

Last week’s offer by the musicians was the first effort to reopen negotiations since the players torpedoed a January proposal by Mayor Maureen O’Connor to settle the long-running labor dispute by establishing a special commission and using binding arbitration.

O’Connor had tapped former UC San Diego Chancellor William J. McGill to help solve the impasse, in which the symphony canceled its winter concert season and disbanded the orchestra.

Solomon acknowledged that last week’s offer by the players was a “significant movement” and “a genuine attempt” to bridge the financial gap that has separated the two sides, but he listed six factors why it was easier to negotiate in January than now:

- In January, there was still an opportunity to present an 8- to 10-week series of concerts in March and April.

- It is more difficult to sell season tickets “when we don’t have a spring season.”

- With the passage of time, season subscribers, whose money has not been returned by the symphony, are more unhappy with the symphony.

- Symphony revenue has almost “completely evaporated.”

- The staff has been reduced to a bare minimum of eight.

- There are greater signs now of community disenchantment over the symphony, meaning “that the challenge of restoring trust and confidence is going to be much more difficult.”