​BSO musicians reject contract offer

The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra musicians have voted to reject a pair of contract proposals that would have returned them to Meyerhoff Symphony Hall to open the 2019-20 season this weekend — but at the expense of summer concerts and likely facing a hefty future pay cut, according to Brian Prechtl and Greg Mulligan, co-chairmen of the Baltimore Symphony Musicians Players Committee (Prechtl will appear on WPFW's Your Rights At Work at 1p Thursday). The musicians’ vote to reject what the union spokesmen called "take it or leave it” contract options proposed by management was taken by electronic ballot Tuesday night and announced Wednesday afternoon. 
Prechtl described the vote result as “overwhelmingly” against both contract options proposed by the BSO’s management. No further negotiations have been scheduled, he said. The musicians have been working without a contract since January, and most have not been paid since June 14, when BSO management locked them out for the summer. 
adapted from a report  in the Baltimore Sun 

​Upcoming activities (details here):
Picketing continues Thursday, September 12 from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. and Friday, September 13, 9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
The Baltimore Symphony Musicians are performing a free community concert this Saturday, September 14 at 4 p.m. at the New Shiloh Baptist Church in Baltimore. 
Also, a trio of BSO musicians will perform Tuesday at 6p at the Takoma Busboys and Poets in the monthly Bread and Roses series; RSVP here. 

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