Selected Press

Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians on strike ahead of 'Holiday Pops'

“Campbell MacDonald, chairman for the players’ association, said in a statement that the philharmonic’s management “has yet to propose pay that allows us to afford basic needs, and is married to the elimination of full-time positions.”

At a rally outside Embassy Theatre on Thursday evening, MacDonald said the musicians feel they’ve been “forced into this position.”

He said philharmonic management is “married to a position of contraction,” wants low pay for the musicians and has no plan for returning the orchestra “back to its historical profile in our region.”

MacDonald said the union believes the orchestra has room to grow and room for “ambitious thought,” a vision he doesn’t see at the bargaining table and in the philharmonic’s marketing.

“We have been giving our heart and soul onstage for decades,” he said. “We moved here to be a part of this orchestra. They’re shrinking this thing and letting it wither.”

The two sides have come to agreements on other parts of the contract, including working conditions and scheduling, MacDonald said, so the major disagreement now is on wages.

“We always continue to negotiate,” MacDonald said. “We always find a way to meet in the middle. We’re just in a position right now where we can’t afford to accept what’s on the table.””

December 9, 2022. For the full article, click the link above.

Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players' Association officially on strike, following contract expiration

“It has been made clear to us over the course of this negotiation that the Fort Wayne Philharmonic board and management seeks to carry forth with unacceptable rates of pay for musicians, fewer concerts and a drastically reduced presence in our community,” Players’ Association chairperson Campbell MacDonald said.

MacDonald said they’ve met with management nine times in recent months. The association met with management again today.

“This current wage proposal is part of a long-term strategy that will create a rotating door of employees,” MacDonald said. “We’ll have people coming and going, positions will remain unfilled. It’s a less attractive position and it’s a less attractive orchestra to be a member of.”

Philharmonic President Brittany Hall says management has negotiated in good faith since August and intends to continue to do so until an agreement can be reached.

"I am deeply disappointed to learn about the unions intention to strike," Hall said.

According to Hall, the players are asking for a 46% wage increase, which she called "unreasonable" and said "could never be sustained." Management has proposed an 11.5 percent increase.

“(The Philharmonic is) flush with cash,” MacDonald said. “Everyone in that organization is getting paid well. Except for us.”

Striking a chord: Philharmonic musicians, management fail to find harmony

“Derek Reeves says the Fort Wayne Philharmonic isn’t the same orchestra he joined almost two decades ago.

“It’s a shadow of the orchestra I moved to Fort Wayne for in the first place,” Reeves said last week. “They’ve cut entire concert series. There seems to be no desire to engage the community.” …

Reeves, who plays the viola, said the Philharmonic’s pay makes it difficult to recruit members. Three of the orchestra’s 44 seats are currently open, and he said a recent national audition for the principal second violin position attracted only one applicant.

“They’re trying to make this a part-time community orchestra, which is not what it was set up to be, which is not what this city wants or deserves,” said Reeves, who has played with the organization since 2003.

Freelance work in other cities, along with teaching violin and viola lessons, helps Reeves make ends meet. But he’d like to travel less.

“I was even driving Uber for a while,” he said, adding that the orchestra income is not a “livable wage.”

Reeves has considered “more than a couple times” leaving music entirely.

“It’s a challenge to make sure all the bills are paid,” he said. “Sometimes you have to decide which bills to pay.””

December 18, 2022. For the full article, click the link above.

Philharmonic union to play at Democratic Party dinner

The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Players’ Association will attend the Allen County Democratic Party’s Obama Dinner, the party announced Friday.

The Quintessential String Quartet, a group of musicians from the union, will play in the lobby before the event and will kick off the dinner with a performance of the Star-Spangled Banner. The Obama Dinner, the county party’s second annual flagship dinner, will be March 9.

For the past month and a half, the union has been on strike, and the Fort Wayne Philharmonic has canceled all concerts from December through February. The local Democratic Party said the organization’s management is attempting to make “shameful” cuts that would “diminish the orchestra with low wages, fewer concerts and fewer full-time positions.”

Derek Camp, chair of the Allen County Democratic Party, said he’s honored to stand by the players’ association during their ongoing strike.

“The Philharmonic orchestra has long been a pillar of our community, and it is unacceptable that management is now attempting to diminish that tradition,” Camp said in a news release. “We want everyone in Allen County to understand that Democrats deliver for working Hoosiers, supporting the fight for higher pay, stronger benefits, and safer workplaces.”

Appeared in the Political Notebook of the Journal-Gazette on January 28, 2023.