FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — The Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians voted to reject the latest proposal from Philharmonic management Wednesday, prompting management to cancel all shows through February.
On Tuesday, Philharmonic management extended their self-imposed deadline for the musicians to either accept or decline the latest offer from management.
As a result, six concerts have been canceled:
- Jan. 28 – Yefim Bronfman Plays Rachmaninoff
- Feb. 4 – Ann Hampton Callaway Signs The Streisand Songbook
- Feb. 9 – Freimann Quartet Plays Fanny Mendelssohn
- Feb. 11 – Johnny Appleseed Goes to the Symphony
- Feb. 12 – Freimann Quartet Plays Fanny Mendelssohn
- Feb. 18 – Beethoven Violin Concerto
Four community engagement dates have also been canceled as a result of the latest developments.
Although both sides recently agreed to wage terms, the musicians still object to management’s proposal to gradually remove or diminish some roles within the orchestra.
“The Philharmonic’s proposal for job cuts and elimination of our workplace rights in unacceptable,” said musician spokesperson Campbell MacDonald. “We will remain on strike until the Fort Wayne Philharmonic removes their unnecessary roadblocks to a resolution.”
Under a proposal from Philharmonic management, no current Philharmonic player would lose their core position, but over time, three full-time core member seats would move to a per-service status, and one per-service member seat would move to an “extra” once the current seat holder left or retired.
Philharmonic management also said the Philharmonic will stop paying for the employer-sponsored health insurance for the musicians starting Feb. 1 due to “accumulating losses of over $300,000 in revenue during the strike.”
Ticketholders who had tickets to any of the canceled performances will be contacted Thursday regarding their ticket options.
