Symphony goes silent in midst of labor dispute

The Nevada Symphony Orchestra and the Musicians Union of Las Vegas have locked horns in an ongoing labor dispute, forcing the cancellation of the popular summer Picnic Pops series and jeopardizing future concerts.

While management apparently has locked out labor, labor has put management on a blacklist that prohibits any union member from working for the orchestra.

A federal arbitrator is scheduled to listen to both sides of the dispute Thursday morning.

Janis Tanno, president of the 18-year-old symphonic music organization, declined to comment on the situation until the end of the arbitration session.

However, Dan Trinter, president/business agent for the union, spoke at length on the issue.

"If these problems can't be worked out, the Nevada Symphony Orchestra could be at an end," Trinter said.

Trinter said the problems go back to the early to mid-1990s. During that time, orchestra members were not paid for many of their performances because of cash-flow problems created by a $300,000 deficit the organization had accrued since the orchestra was created in 1980.

After a fund-raising drive in 1995, orchestra members began receiving back pay, but according to Trinter, relations between the musicians and management continued to deteriorate.

After a number of failed attempts to unionize through the American Federation of Musicians, a similar effort succeeded earlier this year.

"Musicians decided a labor agreement was the only way to put a stop to unfair practices," Trinter said.

Among the abuses the musicians incurred, according to Trinter, was uncertainty in being hired, demotions without warning and for no apparent reason, being replaced for no justifiable reason by musicians from out of town and other grievances.

The primary issue, Trinter said, is job security for the part-time orchestra members, all of whom are contract players rather than employees of the organization.

"Most orchestras have specific procedures they follow to make changes," Tinter said.

Labor negotiations with the newly recognized union began in the spring with very little real progress.

"We were coming up to a June 13 concert, and so we decided we would come to an interim agreement that would allow concerts to continue while negotiations were ongoing," Trinter said.

But the interim agreement quickly fell apart.

"Symphony Orchestra (officials) refused to use people on our list. They wanted the right to bring in new people from anywhere and replace people who have been here for 15 years," Trinter said.

According to Trinter, management initially agreed to the terms but then canceled approaching events.

"That's called a lockout," he said. "The company closed its doors.

"Since then we've had some communications, not a lot, but enough to agree to meet in front of a federal mediator. That's a little late in this case because the orchestra is locked out. But we are welcoming the mediator's participation."

Trinter said the lockout occurred June 13, the day of a planned concert, and several days later the organization canceled the Picnic Pops series.

"I notified the American Federation of Musicians, and the AFM placed the orchestra and Janis Tanno on the International Unfair List," Trinter said.

Because the orchestra organization is on the list, union members cannot work for it, he said.

"Now they can't get an orchestra from anywhere to play for them," Trinter said.

He called the participation of local musicians in the orchestra a "labor of love.

"What they carry in their instrument case costs about $30,000," Trinter said. "What they spent to learn to play what they play probably cost $200,000."

The union pay scale is $75 for a two-hour concert and $15 an hour for rehearsals.

Trinter said he hates to see the orchestra in turmoil.

"It's an uphill battle for any cultural endeavor in Las Vegas," Trinter said.

Constance DeVereaux, director of the Nevada Arts Council, points at the 63 members of her organization as evidence that the city has emerged from its past cultural desert.

And she is saddened to see one of the cultural icons of the city taking a beating.

"There are a lot of fine people on both sides of the (orchestra) issue," DeVereaux said. "It is really difficult to run an organization that depends primarily on donations."

She said she doesn't believe the problems with the orchestra in any way reflect on a lack of cultural support in Las Vegas.

"Symphonies are having difficulties all over the United States," DeVereaux said.

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