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Hartford Symphony Orchestra Says Music Could End Without Union Deal

Nate Gagnon
/
WNPR
Members of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra rally in Hartford to protest cuts, September 9, 2015.
The board's most recent contract with the musicians union expired in June 2014.

Credit Chion Wolf / WNPR
/
WNPR
Michael Pollard of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra in a WNPR file photo.

The board that oversees the Hartford Symphony Orchestra said it could be forced to shut down unless a union that represents musicians is willing to make concessions.

Stephen Collins, the symphony's director of artistic operations and administration, told The Hartford Courant that the symphony is running an approximately $1 million annual deficit and will have to make "very difficult decisions" early next year.

The board's most recent contract with the musicians union expired in June 2014.

Michael Pollard, an HSO violinist and member of the union's negotiating team, said the union is not the problem and, even if it accepted every concession, the symphony's financial problems would not be solved.

In September, the National Labor Relations Board said the HSO had failed to bargain in good faith with the union.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.