The National Labor Relations Board has brought a complaint against the Hartford Symphony Orchestra detailing unionized musicians’ allegations of bad faith bargaining by management.
The Aug. 28 complaint means that the independent federal agency investigated the union’s claims and found probable merit, but that the two sides have been unable to reach a settlement.
The Connecticut Valley Federation of Musicians (CVFM), Local 400 of the American Federation of Musicians alleged in May that HSO modified its procedure for offering individual service contracts to its musicians without affording the union an opportunity to bargain.
The dispute centers around what the union claims is HSO’s proposal to keep pay rates flat, while reducing the number of paid events musicians are guaranteed, and increasing the number of mandated daytime events, which could impact some musicians’ ability to work second jobs. The net result, the union says, is a pay cut.
“It is time for management to start to live up to its legal obligation to bargain in good faith before permanent damage is done to the Orchestra,” CVFM President Joe Messina said in a statement Tuesday.
According to the NLRB complaint released by the union, the NLRB has set a Nov. 10 hearing in Hartford, where both sides will be able to make oral arguments, present evidence and call witnesses. If the two sides come to terms before then, the hearing will be cancelled.
Responding to the NLRB complaint, HSO CEO David Fay said: “The Hartford Symphony Orchestra continues to negotiate in good faith with the American Federation of Musicians in the hope of securing a new contract. We look forward to working constructively with the union to resolve all remaining contract issues in the very near future.”
News of the NLRB hearing comes as musicians plan to rally Wednesday on the steps of the state Capitol before marching to picket at the Bushnell theater — HSO’s home venue as well as its management services contractor.
A one-year extension of HSO musicians’ contract expired last year. The union filed a complaint, known as a charge, with the NLRB in May. After investigating the charge, NLRB Regional Director Jonathan Kreisberg filed the complaint late last month.
According to NLRB, there were 20,415 charges filed in 2014. Of that number, 6,504 reached a settlement, while another 1,216 led the NLRB to file complaints, as it has in the HSO case. More than half of charges are dismissed or withdrawn in the early stages.
