The National Symphony Orchestra has made the decision to cancel its season-opening gala due to a strike initiated by the union representing its musicians. The DC Federation of Musicians, local 161-710 of the American Federation of Musicians, commenced the strike on Friday following the expiration of its collective bargaining agreement on September 2. This unfortunate turn of events led to the cancellation of the NSO's season premiere, which was scheduled to take place at the Kennedy Center with music director Gianandrea Noseda conducting a program featuring pianist Yunchan Lim.
Management of the National Symphony Orchestra had put forward a proposal that included a 13% wage increase over a four-year contract term and an annual reduction of $1,000 in employee healthcare contributions. The proposed agreement aimed to elevate the base salary from $159,000 to $180,593. The previous collective bargaining agreement, initially set for a four-year period through the 2022-23 season, was extended by one year during the pandemic.
As of now, there has been no immediate response from the union regarding the strike and the proposed contract terms. The situation has left both the National Symphony Orchestra and the Kennedy Center in a challenging position, with the season-opening gala being a highly anticipated event that had to be called off due to the ongoing labor dispute.
