FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES
Davies Symphony Hall
201 Van Ness Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94102
(415) 503-5474
[email protected]
Oct 1, 2023
San Francisco, CA—The San Francisco Symphony announced today that the Board of Governors and Musicians of the Orchestra have approved and ratified a new two-year collective bargaining agreement. The new agreement will be applied retroactively from November 27, 2022, and runs through November 18, 2024. The agreement provides for a new weekly base minimum salary of $3,313 upon ratification and increasing to $3,450 in the 2023–24 contract year, in addition to a retroactive lump sum payment to full-time musicians. In addition, musicians receive competitive vacation, sick leave, pension, and healthcare benefits.
“We are pleased to share the news that the administration and Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony have reached agreement on a new contract,” said San Francisco Symphony CEO Matthew Spivey. “This has been a particularly difficult negotiation given the challenging financial pressures on the organization. I am deeply grateful to both the staff and musicians who have been involved in the negotiations and have navigated the process with utmost professionalism and commitment while ensuring that the San Francisco Symphony is able to continue sharing the gift of music with our audiences. The board, staff, and musicians are all equally committed to using this time to strengthen our internal bonds and working together to build support for this extraordinary organization.”
The Orchestra’s negotiating committee was co-chaired by violist David Gaudry and Principal Viola Jonathan Vinocour and included Acting Associate Principal Second Violin Jessie Fellows, Assistant Principal Viola Katie Kadarauch, Bass Clarinet Jerome Simas, and Acting Associate Concertmaster Wyatt Underhill. Also participating was Kale Cumings, President of Musicians’ Union Local No. 6 of the American Federation of Musicians. Caren Sencer of Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld acted as counsel to the musicians. Negotiating for the San Francisco Symphony administration were Chief Executive Officer Matthew Spivey; Senior Director of Orchestra Personnel & Education Planning Rebecca Blum; Chief Financial Officer Sandy Curry, Chief of Staff Elizabeth Shribman, and attorney David Durham of McDermott Will & Emery.
“We are pleased to share the news that the administration and Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony have reached agreement on a new contract,” said San Francisco Symphony CEO Matthew Spivey. “This has been a particularly difficult negotiation given the challenging financial pressures on the organization. I am deeply grateful to both the staff and musicians who have been involved in the negotiations and have navigated the process with utmost professionalism and commitment while ensuring that the San Francisco Symphony is able to continue sharing the gift of music with our audiences. The board, staff, and musicians are all equally committed to using this time to strengthen our internal bonds and working together to build support for this extraordinary organization.”
The Orchestra’s negotiating committee was co-chaired by violist David Gaudry and Principal Viola Jonathan Vinocour and included Acting Associate Principal Second Violin Jessie Fellows, Assistant Principal Viola Katie Kadarauch, Bass Clarinet Jerome Simas, and Acting Associate Concertmaster Wyatt Underhill. Also participating was Kale Cumings, President of Musicians’ Union Local No. 6 of the American Federation of Musicians. Caren Sencer of Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld acted as counsel to the musicians. Negotiating for the San Francisco Symphony administration were Chief Executive Officer Matthew Spivey; Senior Director of Orchestra Personnel & Education Planning Rebecca Blum; Chief Financial Officer Sandy Curry, Chief of Staff Elizabeth Shribman, and attorney David Durham of McDermott Will & Emery.
