Re: Re: Re: Florida Philharmonic Orchestra Strike


[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ TubeNet BBS ] [ FAQ ]

Posted by Fredric Einstein on October 21, 2000 at 04:01:52:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Florida Philharmonic Orchestra Strike posted by Sam Gnagey on October 20, 2000 at 22:41:35:

"Who is this guy?" Sam, you're obviously a very angry and inappropriately emotional person. Take a few Prozac and re-read my post as a dose of realism.

I suggest that other readers of this post, unfamiliar with the situation in Miami, read the news article posted to the Saturday, Oct 21st issue of the Miami Herald web site (look under "What's Inside/News:/Miami-Dade" and you'll get to the correct page).

The problem really is that the unions are in danger of putting professional symphony orchestras out of business since ticket sales can't support continuing union demands for more wages and benefits.

1) Record companies are no longer a source of income for most orchestras (look at RCA/BMG decimating their classical A&R department, breaking their contracts with major orchestras etc). Philidelphia Orchestra released their last recordings, not with a major label such as Sony/Columbia or BMG/RCA, but with a tiny label called "Water Lily Acoustics". I doubt if that orchestra made any money off of that. I don't think that the Florida Philharmonic even has a recording contract.

2) The federal government, local and state organizations, and private endowments are no longer willing to support symphony orchestras because they are not "populist" causes and are of limited interest to all but a small segment of the population.

3) I don't know of ANY orchestra where management is "exploiting" the union members by taking huge salaries for themselves while paying the union members a pittance. No orchestral management is getting rich off of the sweat of their players. There just isn't a great deal of money in symphony orchestra organizations any more.

4) Strikes such as this one will more likely permanently bankrupt the orchestra and put it out of business. The Florida Philharmonic is not the New York Philharmonic and very few people in government or the private sector would lift a finger to save it.

5) A union or any cause needs massive public support for a strike to work. I can't see any support in the local press (that I've looked at on the Internet) for this strike. Professional orchestras are looked upon as a luxury by most people today. Any demands by the union will be responded to with "let the buggers starve if they don't like their wages and benefits" by the majority of the general public.

6) If the strike leader who made the original posting on this subject lost his job (as is likely if the orchestra went out of business), he'd have a heckuva time finding another opening as a professional tubist. There just aren't that many opportunities in this field (he knew that when he entered the profession!!!). Even a violinist would have a difficult time moving to another orchestra. This prompted my comment that he and his fellow strikers should "thank God that they have a job".

I just don't think that the union are being realists by perpetrating a strike such as this one. The public just isn't going to support you.


Follow Ups: