“The Light in the Piazza.” A four-month agreement was negotiated with Lincoln Center for this production going into the Vivian Beaumont Theatre (Adam Siegel, general manager). The minimum performance scale for side musicians is $1,036 for an eight-performance week. The music director earns a premium of 75 percent and the associate music director earns a premium of 15 percent. The 40-hour, six-day rehearsal workweek minimum pays $1,176 and $39.20 per hour, with a minimum two-hour call. The hourly orchestra rehearsal scale is $27, with a minimum two-hour call. Before official opening, special rehearsal rates are as follows: a one-hour rehearsal before an evening performance pays $43.13; or, $50.32 following an evening performance on a one-show day; or, $52.02 following an evening performance on a two-show day. After official opening, a one-hour rehearsal before an evening performance pays $53.93; or, $50.32 following an evening performance on a one-show day; or $64.99 following an evening performance on a two-show day. Doubling pays 12.5 percent for the first and 6.25 for each additional. The synthesizer premium is 25 percent. The employer is responsible for paying for one roundtrip cartage premium of $18 for cartage instruments and also $60 for harp instrument maintenance. The vacation premium is 6 percent and pension is 10 percent. The health contribution is capped at $58 per week and now includes a new benefit for the chaired musicians — a $29.91 per week contribution for hospitalization coverage. Music prep pays the same as the Broadway agreement. The employer agrees to ban any use of virtual orchestra machines.

Staten Island Symphony. Staten Island Symphony musicians voted 21-1 to ratify a new contract as they prepared for the 2004-2005 season at the Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island. The term of the agreement is one year, lasting from Sept. 1, 2004 through Aug. 31, 2005.

This new agreement increases performance pay to $110 from $100, rehearsal pay to $25 per hour from $24, pension contributions to 6.5 percent from 5.5 percent, and string bass cartage to $14 from $12. Pay for two children’s concerts performed on the same day within three hours of each other increases to $172.50 from $150.

The new contract also includes retroactive pay, electronic filing language, and a ban on the virtual orchestra machine. These clauses are identical to those in the Musica Viva contract. Their significance is explained in the Negotiations Roundup column of last December’s issue of Allegro.

Westfield Symphony. Pending ratification, a tentative agreement has been reached with the Westfield Symphony Orchestra. The term of the agreement is five years, lasting from Oct. 1, 2003 through Sept. 30, 2008.

The pay for subscription performances and rehearsals will increase gradually until single engagement classical concert scale is reached in the final year of the contract. During the years where pay is below scale, the attendance requirement for tenured musicians will be waived. A significant improvement in this contract is the increase of pension from six to thirteen percent by the final year.

Doubling pay will now be applicable to percussion. Under the previous agreement, the harp was the only instrument to receive cartage. Under the new agreement, the harp will continue to receive cartage at scale. However, in addition, all instruments that are eligible for cartage under the classical wage scales will, by the final year of the contract, receive 75 percent of the then current cartage scale.

The concertmaster will continue to receive 150 percent of subscription concert pay. For the duration of the contract, a non-playing contractor will be paid at 200 percent of scale and a playing contractor will be paid at 300 percent of scale.

A number of provisions have been added to make more fair the process by which tenure and tenure track musicians are designated. Westfield Symphony management and Local 802 will negotiate educational and caravan concerts on a case-by-case basis.