Symphony Signs 3-Year Contract

The New West Symphony signed its first collective-bargaining agreement Tuesday, bringing to a close two years of bitter negotiations and the threat of a walkout.

Just three days before opening their third season, the orchestra’s 52 musicians, represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 581, signed a three-year pact that guarantees a steady paycheck during the concert season and benefits.

“There was a time when we were playing with a lot of anger and fear,” said Jeff Bandy, a string bass player and chairman of the union’s Orchestra Committee. “We were worried we could be let go at any time. Now we are secured. We will be here for three years.”

The contract, retroactive to Sept. 1, was hammered out Oct. 1, and members received ballots in the mail last week. Votes were counted Tuesday.

The agreement formalizes the musicians’ schedule of payment, benefits and working conditions.

Section players will receive $80 for each rehearsal and $100 for each concert performance, while the principal players will earn $120 a rehearsal and $150 per concert.

“It’s comparable to all regional orchestras,” said Charles McDermott, the orchestra’s artistic director.

The symphony will also contribute 2% of the musicians’ pay to a union pension fund. Bandy said the union accepted that portion of the agreement reluctantly because it is below the market rate for pension contributions of 5% to 7%.

Both sides agreed, however, that the settlement will ultimately enhance the quality of the performances.

“It gives the orchestra cohesiveness,” McDermott said. “We can really start to make serious music now.”

Added Bob Ely, New West Symphony’s general manager, “We wanted to get the finest musicians and the finest musicians are union members.”

Since New West Symphony’s inception in October 1995, it has been operating under an interim agreement with Local 581. The orchestra contracted musicians on a concert-by-concert basis and periodically had to hire substitutes when regular musicians had other commitments.

“It’s like putting out the daily [newspaper] with a different staff everyday,” McDermott said.

Musicians threatened to walk off the job several times in the past two years, Bandy said.

Each time, the players opted against a walkout because of their mutual love of performing and the hope that there would be a breakthrough in the negotiations, he said.

“A strike is always the last resort,” said Michael Smith, president of Local 581. “It’s a tool in the arsenal. But we’re not in the business of shutting people down.”

The musicians’ commitment to performing impressed orchestra officials.

“I appreciate very much the supportive approach and style the union took in the negotiations,” said Lawrence Blonquist, founding president of the orchestra’s board of directors and, until recently, chairman of its negotiating committee.

New West Symphony opens its season Friday at the Civic Arts Plaza in Thousand Oaks.

Twenty-one performances are scheduled through May: six for season ticket-holders, 10 countywide “educational concerts” for elementary schoolchildren and another five for the general public.

Conductor Boris Brott said his orchestra is part of a renaissance in classical music.

“This is going to be a tremendous trip,” he said.

Only about 40% of New West’s 1997-98 budget of about $1.1 million is expected to come from ticket sales. The remainder will come from private donations, foundations, corporate sponsorship and possibly the city of Thousand Oaks.

The New West Symphony was formed from a merger between the Ventura County Symphony of Ventura and the Conejo Symphony Orchestra of Thousand Oaks.

Tuesday’s agreement signifies a stronger presence of Local 581 in Ventura County. In June, the union negotiated a contract on behalf of the Conejo Valley Symphony Orchestra’s 38 musicians.