The musicians of the National Symphony Orchestra are not being furloughed after all.
Their union, the D.C. Federation of Musicians, filed a grievance after the Kennedy Center last week announced its unilateral decision to furlough the musicians, which was not permitted by the union’s contract. While the musicians’ pay has been restored, the union agreed to “substantial economic concessions” in recognition of the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Kennedy Center. The contract is also being extended for an additional year, through the beginning of September 2024, which the union said “will provide financial stability to our musicians during this difficult time.” The musicians’ union also urged the Kennedy Center to bring back the Orchestra’s staff – who are not protected by a union contract – “as a matter of fairness” and announced that the musicians are pledging at least $50,000 of their own money to help support their NSO staff colleagues. On today’s labor calendar, tune in to Your Rights At Work at 1 o’clock this afternoon when our guests will include Steve Fraser, author of “Mongrel Firebugs and Men of Property: Capitalism and Class Conflict in American History,” Tim Sheard, author of “All Bleeding Stops Eventually,” the latest Lenny Moss mystery, and Michael Peterson, AKA SpudWrench, with his latest track "The Elevator Man." That’s Your Rights At Work at 1 o’clock this afternoon right here on WPFW 89.3 FM. In today’s labor history, on this date in 1930, the International Workers of the World organized the 1,700 member crew of the Leviathan, then the world’s largest vessel. Today’s labor quote is by John Costa, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union. The ATU and the Transport Workers Union represent members who operate the majority of bus, subway and streetcar systems across the country, and the two unions earlier this week vowed to take action if system operators don’t better protect their members from COVID-19. John Costa who said: “We are prepared to take whatever aggressive action is necessary in order to protect our members and their families. Nothing is off the table. Dying is no way to make a living.” Union City Radio is supported by our friends at Union Plus. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many families are being hit with increased financial burdens. For those struggling with their credit, the Union Plus Credit Counseling program is still operating online and over the phone. Visit unionplus.org/creditcounseling to find out more.
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