Cleveland Orchestra Musicians Strike Over 25 Percent Pay Demand

Cleveland Orchestra musicians went on strike at midnight on Sept. 25 after failing to reach a new contract agreement with management.

Union leaders announced the walkout on Sept. 24. The two sides had bargained since July, or nearly three months, without a deal. The musicians' collective bargaining agreement expired on Aug. 30. The orchestra and the union then agreed on Sept. 2 to extend that agreement through Sept. 23 while negotiations continued, according to OperaWire.

The orchestra performed its scheduled show Thursday night. Officials said the Sept. 25 and Sept. 26 performances — a program of Brahms, Liszt and Martinů — must be canceled.

What do the musicians want?

The union demands 25 percent in total salary increases over three years. That works out to roughly 8 percent per year.

Management rejected the figure. In a statement, the Orchestra said the request "is simply not sustainable for the institution."

What progress was made before the strike?

Negotiations since July produced movement on several issues the musicians flagged as priorities:

• Parental leave
• Workload
• Touring
• Hiring practices

Salary remained the unresolved point. When the contract extension lapsed on Sept. 23, no agreement replaced it, and the strike followed two days later.

In plain terms: the parties narrowed differences on working conditions but split on pay, and that gap now cancels performances.

The immediate cost is two canceled concerts. How long the strike runs — and whether more of the season follows — depends on whether management moves off its sustainability argument or the union lowers its 25 percent ask.