Posted by Get Back to Work!!! on May 08, 2003 at 17:12:46:
In Reply to: Re: Louisville Orchestra posted by Daryl Johnson on May 08, 2003 at 09:14:44:
Louisville Orchestra Musicians Return To Work
Associated Press
LOUISVILLE, May 8th, 2003, 4 p.m.
The Louisville Orchestra returned to work Thursday after management
agreed to support the musicians' search for work until it can pay all
back wages.
The orchestra canceled a Thursday morning concert after announcing it
would pay musicians 30 percent of their paychecks that were due April 30
after receiving an infusion of contributions.
Tim King, the orchestra's executive director, said that about $52,000 of
a customary $170,000 payroll will be distributed to musicians,
conductors and administrative staff.
"We're relieved to be getting some partial payment," said Tim Zavadil, a
spokesman for the orchestra musicians. "But we have to keep in mind that
this doesn't solve the big problem, which is to make sure the contract
is fulfilled."
Zavadil said management on Thursday granted leaves on short notice for
musicians who were offered short-term employment that could help them
pay their bills until the orchestra is able to fully pay its payroll.
The orchestra will perform Friday night in Corydon, Ind., and again
Saturday in Louisville, according to a statement issued Thursday by the
musicians.
King said Wednesday that the partial payroll is a "result of some
sponsorships and individual contributions that have come in."
King could not say when the balance might be paid, or how next
Thursday's payroll could be met. As of Tuesday, there was a little more
than $3,000 in the orchestra's bank accounts.
Asked whether the orchestra could avoid filing for bankruptcy
protection, board President Phil McHugh would say only that the board
"would have to consider all alternatives."
Several orchestras across the country have sought bankruptcy protection
in the past year, but most have found it difficult to recover.
The board has been seeking cost concessions from the musicians, citing a
severe downturn in income from its main endowment.
The board wants the players to accept annual pay cuts of 5 percent and
give up four paid weeks of each 42-week season.
If the players agree, McHugh has said, commitments from public and
private sources would allow the orchestra to finish out a contract with
the musicians that runs through August 2005.
The players believe the board is holding them hostage by denying their
pay. They also object to the board's refusal to grant individual
musicians unconditional short-term leave to take jobs elsewhere.
Calling the board's actions an "illegal lockout," players' attorney
Leonard Leibowitz on Tuesday filed charges with the National Labor
Relations board, alleging unfair labor practices.
The NLRB oversees provisions of the National Labor Relations Act
governing relations between unions and employers in the private sector.
An independent general counsel investigates, and a five-member board
decides, issues brought before it through 37 regional offices.