Yannick joins union in pay talks
NewsIn a gesture that breaches the traditional neutrality of a music director in US pay talks, Yannick Nézet-Séguin has worn a union soliodarrity shirt foir a photoshoot with Philadelphia Orchestra musicians, who are locked in pay negotiations,
Their contract expires on September 10 and one of the stickinng-points is the continued existence of 15 gaping vacancies in the orchestra.
If it goes to the mattresses, Yannick is making no secret which side he’s on.
photo: Philadelphia Orchestra Musicians
Making a public statement or not: an MD is naturally always on the side of those who are paid. Not on the side of those who pay.
Unless he is bought with even more money to stay loyal on the money supply side.
Are you implying that this is a ruse, the underlying purpose of which is for him personally to benefit and, if he does, that his support for the musicians will simply vanish? That might be the typical North American way where ‘dollar is king’ but given his Quebecois origins, I suspect the principle of TU solidarity will be far more important. Some of us value principles more than cash … irritatingly principled Europhiles!
Oh yes, yes!! In Chicago it has gone to … mattresses … and we know who Muti is on the mattress with! Alexander knows too!
One-Note Lothario
One-Program Cristina?
Looks like the wrong Cristinas are commenting on this. There is one Cristina (C. M.) who should be commenting here. We are not all proud about this.
I think the outfit will look better on Viotti …
Any outfit would.
Now at the bottom of the “big seven” in pay and benefits imposed on them in the settlement of the POA’s 2011 faux bankruptcy, it’s high time they recoup their standing among the top three in addition to regaining the 10+ roster spots taken away in ’11.
Any outfit will look better on or even better off Viotti 😉
I would be surprised if it were otherwise.
Muti also quite publicly sided with CSO musicians a year or so ago. And rightly so.
Muti sided with the union when they were striking.
Please correct me if I’m wrong, but when he was negotiating his own renewal contract, he didn’t do anything to leverage the fact that management wanted him to stick around longer to help the union score concessions from management.
That is so wonderful and heart warming. I hope to see Yannick on the Met orchestra side when they come to the negotiating table with Mr. Gelb.
So what, he waddles out on his hind legs anytime someone is holding a camera. If there’s a matching t-shirt handy to show “solidarity”, all the more convenient.
Less ‘skeptic’ than cynic …
Given Muti’s recent very public siding with labor over management in Chicago, I don’t think Music Director neutrality in industrial relations can any longer be thought of as the default. At least in The States, rightly or wrongly, I expect more maestroes will continue to publicly side with their musicians in labor disputes.
The MD taking a position in labor negotiations could easily become fraught.
YNS is going to open himself up to questions about union proposals where he might actually disagree with the union. For example, if the union is asking to adjust the number of rehearsals, the length of them, and the number of breaks, YNS is going to get asked if he supports what’s being proposed. After endorsing the union in their negotiations, it’s going to be hard for him to say he won’t comment, and then if he’s anything less than fully supportive, he’s going to look like a backstabber.
I totally disagree! Lots of posts in every organisation place you in positions of both employee and worker as well as supervisor and manager. Ultra-smart professional musicians will recognise the potential for being pulled in both ways as well as potential conflict of interests – personal as well as professional – and simply ackowledge these are unavoidable. In this case, he is making his loyalties to both the orchestra as well as rightful place as MD quite clear. They align with those of the orchestra. Good on him!
Ask the Met orchestra what they think about his “solidarity”. While they were out of work and pay during covid, he was busy living it up and posting lots of photos on Instagram of his opulent life. He is a phony.
If they strike, maybe a bunch of them can go back to the All Star Orchestra…