Back To Bargaining For Musicians And DSO
DETROIT (WWJ) The two sides are heading back to the bargaining table Saturday to hopefully settle the musicians strike which started back in early October, 2010.
Last week DSO management submitted a new offer to the mediator detailing how they would spend the 36-million dollar compromised amount which the mediator had recommended essentially closing the gap between the two sides.
At the time, DSO President Anne Parsons wouldn't say what was in the proposal, but did say, they came up with the proposal at the request of the federal mediator. "Part of the process is we will be silent except to say we are being positive by putting the offer in, and we hope the union will do the same, we are under quite a time pressure, week to week we are losing concerts and we would like that to stop." Parsons said.
Reportedly both sides have now agreed to a media black out.
The musicians went on strike October 4, after management imposed pay cuts of about 30 percent. The union had offered to take a 21 percent pay cut.
In limited fashion, the music continues to play at different venues around metro-Detroit. The striking musicians will play at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Grosse Pointe Woods on Saturday, January 22.
WWJ's Stephanie Davis spoke with striking DSO violinist Marian Tanau about the concerts: "The main objective is to help people (musicians) with health care bills or provide loans for those people that need them, and we are doing these concerts to primarily serve the audience, that which otherwise, would suffer from not having this high quality orchestra, so we don't want to deprive them of that."
