The musicians and the Kennedy Center haven’t been able to agree on a new contract after months of negotiations.
Dozens of National Symphony Orchestra (NSO) musicians went on strike Friday, prompting the Kennedy Center to cancel a sold-out gala celebrating a new NSO season.
Musicians walked off the job and picketed outside the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., in hopes of getting higher pay, according to their union, the DC Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710, American Federation of Musicians.
The picketers wore matching cherry red shirts and some carried signs saying, "Support NSO musicians" and "Keep NSO world-class."
“We would rather be in front of our audience,” Jennifer Mondie, an NSO viola player, said. “We hope that we can reinstate the performances as soon as they can come up with a fair deal to maintain our world-class status.”
The strike “will continue until the Kennedy Center agrees to fair terms in a new collective bargaining agreement,” the union said.
The Kennedy Center and the union have been negotiating for months.
In a statement, the Kennedy Center said they and NSO leadership offered a "generous and fiscally responsible" four-year contract to the musicians. The contract included 12% wage growth over four years, which would bring the minimum base salary to $178,840, the Kennedy Center said.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
The union said the pay boost offered by the Kennedy Center isn’t enough to keep up with inflation and make up for wages given up during the pandemic. According to the union, each NSO musician voluntarily agreed to give back at least $60,000 of their salary as COVID-19 shut down the performing arts.
The union said musicians in other major cities have received pay increases, including those who work for the New York Philharmonic and Boston Symphony.
Mondie said that the Kennedy Center has used “classic union-busting” tactics.
According to the union, Kennedy Center security tried to stop them from handing out leaflets on Tuesday and threatened to call police. The union said they filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board.
"The Kennedy Center remains committed to working in good faith towards a fair contract that will enable the institution to shape its future in a way that is both responsible and economically sustainable," the center said in a statement.
It’s the NSO’s first strike in 46 years, the union said.
The Kennedy Center announced the Season Opening Gala set for Saturday was canceled, and other performances may be impacted. Patrons will be advised if their performances are canceled, the Kennedy Center said.
The Kennedy Center remains open during the strike.
