Symphony Society rejects latest offer

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Another proposal, another rejection. Some say the lockout that’s kept the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra off the stage may now have reached a critical point that could result in some musicians leaving town.

The move comes after the musicians’ union rejected the Symphony Society’s latest offer Friday, then countered with its own. Just one day later, with the deadline still more than 24 hours away, the Symphony Society told 24-Hour News 8 that offer was rejected as well.

It means the month-long lockout at the Hilbert Circle Theater continues, and it may mean another round of cancelled concerts ahead.

It may also mean that orchestra members who have held strong thus far may soon consider taking their talents elsewhere.

As the orchestra gathered to practice at Carmel High School Saturday night, many were hopeful their sixth contract offer since talks began would finally seal the deal.

"This proposal has some very serious concessions,” said ISO French horn player and negotiating committee chairman Richard Graef. “But, we've made them in an effort to keep the music going and the orchestra financially stable."

According to ISO management, the organization is now facing a $10 million annual deficit. In order to fix that, the Symphony Society originally wanted to pay some of the musicians on an "as needed basis,” cut wages to others, and reduce the Symphony’s annual schedule to 36 weeks.

Some of those issues have been negotiated or agreed upon, Graef said, but salary remained the biggest sticking point. In order to come to an agreement, Graef said the union’s latest offer would reduce minimum musician salaries from their current level of $78,000 per year to $53,000 next year—a 32 percent wage cut. By year five of the salary offer, the minimum salary would increase to $70,000—a 10 percent cut from the current salary.

“This resolution would provide about $11.5 million in concessionary savings to the Society,” Graef said. “It [also] contains an exciting new provision which would guarantee the involvement of musicians in Society-directed fundraising activities at no cost to the Society. The musicians feel that this involvement will help secure the financial future of the ISO and is integral to the future this great organization.”

Asked what the response had been to the latest offer, Graef shrugged.

"They have already agreed to most of the other financial aspects of this offer,” he said. “We do not understand why we're not already on the stage."

As they practiced Saturday, orchestra members could be seen checking their smartphones for updates.

They found one shortly before they broke for the night.

In a statement to 24-Hour News 8, Symphony Society spokesperson Jessica Di Santo wrote: "Offers made by the union the past two days have been rejected. The ISO’s offer made October 1st (and previously reported) remains available until 6 p.m. [Saturday], although the union has indicated it has rejected that offer as well.”

Di Santo confirmed there were no additional offers under consideration.

Yes,” she replied. “They extended the deadline on yesterday's offer. It's been rejected.”

Asked for further comment on the negotiations, Di Santo wrote: “no more information until [Sunday] or Monday.”

"It would be nice if they would reject an offer directly to us,” Graef said. “I’m the chairman of the negotiating committee, and to this point, I have received no official notification that the offer has been rejected. We extended the deadline until 6 p.m. Sunday, so we’re hopeful they’ll reconsider.”

With the lockout now entering its second month, cards and letters of support lining a table near the orchestra practice room at the high school were keeping some hanging on.

“When I opened a big envelope from the [5th grade] Center Grove Elementary students, I started crying reading them,” said ISO violaist Nancy Agres, a 25-year veteran of the orchestra. “One of them drew the conductor. It’s like moral support to get that from the kids. It’s been very difficult getting through all this.”

With no income from the Symphony coming in, some orchestra members are now facing an agonizing choice: stay and fight to the finale, or find work somewhere else.

“There is a point [where we cannot financially sustain the lockout], Graef said. “We have musicians looking at a lot of other things. There are musicians that have received offers from Chicago, Cleveland, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Baltimore—and the list goes on.”

Asked if there was a chance some of those musicians would consider leaving the ISO, Graef lowered his head.

“I would say there's far more than a chance, unfortunately,” he said.

Still, Graef said, for now, the orchestra remains hopeful.

“We’re willing to fight and keep going,” he said. “We want nothing more than to be back out on stage.”

The orchestra will do just that Sunday evening, playing a benefit concert at the Palladium in Carmel at 7 p.m. Tickets were still available for the show on Saturday.

No new negotiation