Five-year deal ends Pittsburgh orchestra musicians’ strike
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Musicians are agreeing to a temporary wage cut as part of a 5-year deal that’s ending a strike against the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra that began in late September.
The agreement announced Wednesday calls for a salary reduction of 7.5 percent, followed by a wage freeze, a 3.3 percent increase in the third year and a 2 percent increase in the fourth year. By the fifth year, base salary will return to the 2016 level of $107,000.
The orchestra will have 99 musicians and two librarians but will not fill three vacant positions.
Management says it’s trying to address a deficit projected to be more than $20 million over the coming years.
The symphony will hold free concerts on Dec. 2 and Dec. 4 with conductor Manfred Honeck.