SAN FRANCISCO (CelebrityAccess) — The San Francisco Symphony was forced to cancel upcoming performances of Verdi’s Requiem scheduled for September 19-21 after the Symphony’s 152 member chorus went on strike.
The chorus, members of the American Guild of Musicians, have not had a collective bargaining agreement in place since it expired on July 31st, 2024. According to the Symphony, negotiations for a new agreement have been underway since May 2024.
The symphony’s proposal maintains wages at current levels, compensating the choristers with more than $22,000 a year for 53 rehearsals and 26 warm-up hour at a rate of $131 per hour. The symphony has preliminarily agreed to 12 non-financial contractual changes to secure a new agreement.
“Our latest contract offer to the AGMA members of the SF Symphony Chorus is fair, equitable, and competitive. Our offer to maintain current wage levels reflects our commitment to the Chorus, especially in light of the challenging financial pressures the organization is currently facing. We’ve been transparent about our financial challenges – similar to many arts organizations since the pandemic – and have been working with our union partners to try to collectively address those realities,” the Symphony said in a statement on Thursday.
The union argues that the Symphony has made disproportionate cuts to the Chorus, including a complete pay freeze for 2024/2025 followed by a drastic 10% pay cut in 2025/26.
“Nothing has significantly changed in the Symphony’s financial position from previous years besides the attitude of management toward its core artistic labor. The AGMA Board of Governors and Artists around the country stand firmly behind all the Choristers of the San Francisco Symphony,” said AGMA President Ned Hanlon. “I cannot recall the last time AGMA went on strike, but management has repeatedly failed to show how targeting the Symphony’s internationally acclaimed Choristers will solve their alleged financial issues. We urge management to immediately return to the bargaining table and work toward a real solution that honors the work of these dedicated artists and gets everyone back to creating beautiful music.”
