Molly SasseCSO signs pact with musicians
The union that represents musicians of the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera has signed a new 2-year contract that provides a 2 percent wage increase with no cuts in the size or scope of the orchestra.
The new agreement was announced Monday by Local 80 of the American Federation of Musicians, which represents most of the nearly 200 musicians that perform each season for the orchestra. The pact is the first two-year contract since 2008 and maintains the number of rehearsals and performances and the number of musicians as in previous years.
“We are delighted to reach this agreement, especially in light of the continuing bad news from other orchestras,” said Molly Sasse, CSO Executive Director. Sasse said while the orchestra had deficits for the past two seasons, the size of the deficit dropped significantly last year.
Taylor Brown, principal bass for the CSO and orchestra representative, said the musicians “are pleased with the outcome”of the most recent negotiations. “We know the board and management are working hard to overcome the past seasons’ deficits by raising new funds and moving forward in a positive direction,” he said.
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