Symphony, musicians should focus on future

America’s symphony orchestras and management are not always in harmony.

Union contracts expire every three years, and negotiations can become complicated.

The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and the American Federation of Musicians should work hard to avoid damaging conflict as they negotiate a new contract in an uncertain financial climate.

Union musicians, seeing a sound regional economy, have asked for a $3.5 million pay increase spread over the new contract. Symphony officials, feeling pinched from lost Tarrant County corporate sponsorships due to consolidations and also from a squeezed endowment fund, want to trim musicians’ contracts from 46 weeks to 43 and eliminate three weeks of paid time off.

Musicians are handling out leaflets to argue their side and also mounting a social-media campaign.

Both the symphony and the musicians union have staked out their positions, but nobody wants to see escalating disagreement.

The symphony and its musicians have grown in national stature. Both sides should work to find middle ground and collaborate on a plan for renewed growth in the next three years.

Concertgoers want to hear music, not a dispute.

This story was originally published October 13, 2015 at 6:00 PM with the headline "Symphony, musicians should focus on future."