The 72 musicians San Antonio Symphony are still on strike since late September. After renegotiating the contract for the 2021-22 season with the board, the musicians rejected a proposal that would reduce pay and eliminate 30 full-time positions. According to the management’s proposal musicians who lost their full-time jobs would be offered part-time contracts with no health insurance.
When the musicians went on strike, the board has canceled the musicians’ health insurance and other benefits, and both sides have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board. Concerts continue to be canceled.
The musicians say, a financial statement for the Symphony Society seems to project a surplus of $1.8 million by the end of the fiscal year. They believe this is the result of the federal COVID-19 relief funds received in 2020 and 2021. The management however says that the financial picture is complex and the orchestra is fiscally in a negative financial position.
