The musicians' union agreed to meet with management on December 28, but solutions may be far off.
Last week, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra said it may have to close its doors for good if HSO musicians won't come to the negotiating table to hammer out a new contract. Now, the union that represents the musicians has responded to those claims.
The American Federation of Musicians quit meeting with the HSO last month, frustrated by management's continued demand that any new contract include a significant pay cut for many of its musicians.
But with news that the orchestra is facing a million-dollar budget shortfall, and may run out of cash by the spring, the HSO's director of artistic operations and administration Steve Collins has renewed calls for negotiations, and soon.
"We challenge them. Come back to the table, in earnest and solve our problems, and solve them now," Collins said. "We are absolutely confident there are solutions out there. But we need people to talk and do it in an earnest manner."
The good news is the union has agreed to meet with management on December 28. The bad news: solutions may be far off.
In a letter, the AFM accused Collins of confrontational tactics that have "destroyed relationships necessary for a quality musical organization to thrive."
The letter also placed the blame for the HSO's problems on Collins's decision to "abandon the collaborative approach to bargaining."
The musicians accused management of counting on union concessions as the only way out of the HSO's financial woes, and called instead for shared sacrifice.
The HSO said that if an agreement is not reached by the end of January, the orchestra could fold for good. The union contended that if that happens, it would amount to an illegal lockout, and the HSO would still be obligated to pay the musicians for the rest of the season under the terms of the expired contract.
