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By Ben Mattison
19 Sep 2005
The Washington National Opera signed new three-year contracts with its orchestra musicians and chorus members last week, on the eve of the opening of the company's 50th-anniversary season.
WNO reached agreement with the American Federation of Musicians on the orchestra contract in just four days of talks, according to the company. Negotiations with the American Guild of Musical Artists, which represents the choristers, took two days.
Details of the agreements were not available, but hornist Gregory Drone said in a statement that orchestra's new contract "provides improvements in wages and benefits."
The agreement "continues to demonstrate the opera's commitment to maintaining and improving the quality of the orchestra," he added.
WNO president Michael R. Sonnenreich said, "Washington National Opera's relationship with the musicians' unions is very positive. The contracts are very realistic and represent the understanding of both the musicians' needs and the needs of the performing-arts industry, as well as the challenges that the arts are facing in these difficult economic times."
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