Cleveland Orchestra Musicians Ratify Three-Year Contract, Ending Strike

The Cleveland Orchestra's musicians have ratified a new three-year contract, ending a strike that had put the ensemble's upcoming European tour at risk.

The musicians and the organization announced the agreement on Sunday. The deal includes annual raises of 5 percent — a larger increase than recent settlements at other major American orchestras — but falls well short of the 25 percent management said the union had originally sought. Base salary will rise from $165,516 to $191,620 over the term of the contract.

The settlement carries two further provisions. Musicians agreed to transition to a high-deductible, HSA-qualified health plan. The current hiring practice, which allows musicians active participation and voice throughout the process, has been codified.

Negotiations began in July after the musicians' previous contract expired on Aug. 30. A short extension to Sept. 23 came with a unanimous strike authorization vote. The sides remained "far apart," by the players' own account, when the walkout began following a Sept. 24 performance. Two concerts were subsequently canceled, and musicians picketed and staged a free outdoor performance over the weekend before the deal was reached.

The dispute centered in part on how Cleveland's compensation compares with the other "Big Five" American orchestras in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago. Three of those ensembles recently signed contracts carrying base salaries above $200,000 and raises of four to 4.5 percent. Music director Franz Welser-Möst, in his 25th and final season with the orchestra, did not take part in the labor dispute.

This year's walkout was the ensemble's first lasting more than a day since 1980, and its first strike since a one-day work stoppage in 2010, when the orchestra was facing a $2 million deficit.

In a release Sunday, orchestra CEO André Gremillet said: "While I believe this strike was unnecessary, I want to acknowledge the union's willingness to engage constructively in the bargaining process over the past two days. The outcome at the table was driven by good faith negotiation, not by the work stoppage."

With the contract ratified, the orchestra can now turn to its European tour — and to closing the season of Franz Welser-Möst's quarter-century tenure under terms that leave Cleveland's pay still below the $200,000 benchmark set by its Big Five peers.