Fort Worth Orchestra Faces More Pay Cuts in Contract Talks

Five years after Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra musicians agreed to a 13.5 percent pay cut to shore up the organization’s listing finances, management is seeking additional reductions in a new round of contract negotiations, Fort Worth Weekly writes.

Among other measures, orchestra officials have proposed trimming the concert season from 46 weeks to 43 and eliminating three weeks of paid time in talks on a new three-year deal that began in July, when the previous contract expired. Players are seeking to recoup some of the 2010 wage cuts aimed at helping the orchestra offset a steep drop in revenue.

Orchestra leaders say that despite active fundraising efforts, the organization still faces a budget deficit that could reach $458,000 amid a decline in corporate donations; rent increases at its venue, Bass Performance Hall; and ticket sales that, while on the rise, are still below pre-recession levels. Contract talks are set to resume Tuesday.