The National Symphony Orchestra Strikes, Canceling Season Opening Gala
The National Symphony Orchestra was forced to cancel its season-opening gala after the union representing its musicians went on strike. The DC Federation of Musicians, local 161-710 of the American Federation of Musicians, initiated the strike following the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement on Sept. 2.
The NSO season was set to kick off at the Kennedy Center with music director Gianandrea Noseda conducting a program that included pianist Yunchan Lim.
Management offered a 13% wage increase over a four-year contract and a decrease of $1,000 in employee healthcare contributions annually. The proposal aimed to raise the base salary from $159,000 to $180,593.
The previous contract, initially set for four years through the 2022-23 season, was extended by one year due to the pandemic.
As of now, there has been no response from the union regarding the strike.
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