GET THE FACTS: FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA NEGOTIATIONS
• FWSO Management’s pay cut demands would put a FWSO musician’s salary $20,000 below the national average and $42,000 lessthan a Dallas Symphony musician.
• Musicians already sacrificed to help the organization by accepting a 13.5% pay cut in 2010. Musicians have not seen a full recovery of these losses yet.
• The FWSO’s budget has decreased form $13.1 million in 2010 to $11.9 million in 2016. In the same period of time, the economy of Fort Worth has grown over 30%.
• Non-Profit financial stability is dependent on a healthy endowment. The FWSO management has not launched an endowment drive since 2000, and they have no Strategic Plan past 2017. In comparison, cities like Detroit raised $40 million for their endowment, Grand Rapids $40 million, Buffalo $23 million and Kansas City is nearing the completion of a $55 million endowment campaign.
• Management maintains there is no more money in Fort Worth and donor giving is down. This summer the Fort Worth Opera raised $1 million and doubled their donor base in 3 months, proving that there are more donors and dollars in Fort Worth for the arts.
• Ticket sales increased 14% last year and Concerts In The Garden had a record setting summer, bringing in 1 million dollars.
• Since 2010, musicians have left the FWSO at twice the rate of the previous decade. Further cuts, with no plan for growth, will result in the world’s best musicians no longer moving to Fort Worth and the FWSO will no longer be a destination orchestra.
• Musicians already sacrificed to help the organization by accepting a 13.5% pay cut in 2010. Musicians have not seen a full recovery of these losses yet.
• The FWSO’s budget has decreased form $13.1 million in 2010 to $11.9 million in 2016. In the same period of time, the economy of Fort Worth has grown over 30%.
• Non-Profit financial stability is dependent on a healthy endowment. The FWSO management has not launched an endowment drive since 2000, and they have no Strategic Plan past 2017. In comparison, cities like Detroit raised $40 million for their endowment, Grand Rapids $40 million, Buffalo $23 million and Kansas City is nearing the completion of a $55 million endowment campaign.
• Management maintains there is no more money in Fort Worth and donor giving is down. This summer the Fort Worth Opera raised $1 million and doubled their donor base in 3 months, proving that there are more donors and dollars in Fort Worth for the arts.
• Ticket sales increased 14% last year and Concerts In The Garden had a record setting summer, bringing in 1 million dollars.
• Since 2010, musicians have left the FWSO at twice the rate of the previous decade. Further cuts, with no plan for growth, will result in the world’s best musicians no longer moving to Fort Worth and the FWSO will no longer be a destination orchestra.
IT IS NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR MANAGEMENT TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE WITH THE PHILOSOPHY THAT THEY CAN CUT TO PROSPERITY. WITH THIS UNSUSTAINABLE BUSINESS PLAN, NO ONE WINS
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Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, AFM Local 72-147
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Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, AFM Local 72-147