Posted by Jay Bertolet on October 21, 2000 at 08:01:26:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Florida Philharmonic Orchestra Strike posted by Fredric Einstein on October 21, 2000 at 04:01:52:
Like I said before Frederic, don't second guess people when you don't know all the facts. For instance, did you know that the publisher of the Miami Herald is also the Chairman of our Governing Council, Mr. Alberto Ibarguen? And did you know that our board members have so much influence in the community that they virtually own the rest of the print, radio, and TV media? If all you have read on the subject is what has been printed in the press, you are sadly misinformed!
But let's examine your statement about union demands putting orchestras out of business. Did you know that FPO ticket revenues increased 9% last season? Did you know that the FPO was asked to record this coming summer a CD on the Naxos label of Bernstein's music? You aren't here so you haven't heard how time and again we've been told, as an orchestra, how great we sound and how wonderful we play and how our wages don't even come close to reflecting the levels of our quality. Yet the major sticking point in these negotiations are changes to our existing contract that make it much easier to fire us. When we asked the board in negotiations why they were seeking these changes in the contract, they told us point blank "to make it easier to fire you".
And let's talk about musicians wages versus management wages. Did you know that management's salaries have gone up more than twice as much, almost three times as much, in the last 10 years as musician's salaries have? The percentage of their increases has outpaced ours by more than twice as much. This strike is almost as much about respect as it is contractual language. For years, the musicians have been regarded by the management as a burden on the institution, not as the product and largest asset of that institution.
Just to clarify for you, since you aren't down here, we do have tremendous public support. You'll just never read about it in the papers because of our board's stranglehold on the media. In fact, we have even contacted board members who have said they knew nothing of what the Governing Council was doing in these negotiations. When they were told about what the situation was, they were outraged and shocked. We have even been contacted by former board members who have stated outright that they no longer support the FPO because the current Governing Council and management are doing a terrible job by squandering money and treating the musicians like crap.
I have to say that it appears you have bought into the ideas you have read in the Herald. The fact that you called me a "strike leader" shows that clearly. The negotiating committee has been painted as radical unionists all during this strike by the press. Funny thing is that we are only 8 people of an orchestra of 81. So where do we get those other votes from the orchestra that keep rejecting the crap management continues to put in front of us? The voice of the orchestra has been unified throughout these negotiations and we still believe that we can prevail by remaining strong.
Indeed, you may not see me at another audition because my wife has her own business here in South Florida and she can't very well move it to another city. But that is a choice I'll have to make if the FPO really disappears. Until then, I'll continue to try and find a resolution to this situation knowing that whatever happens we did the right thing, both for ourselves and for our symphonic colleagues around the country.