CSO agrees to new contract

The Chicago Symphony Orchestra will embark next week on its 2007 tour of Europe fully in tune with a new players' contract.

The orchestra's musicians and management announced Thursday a new four-year collective bargaining agreement, effective immediately and running through September 2011.

The contract includes increased weekly base pay for the musicians and a restructured benefits package. Changes were also made to the contract's scheduling provisions in order to provide more flexibility for the CSO's Symphony Center season, as well as tours and its annual summer residency at Ravinia.

"Our new contract is a reflection of the truly collaborative nature that embodies the work being done jointly by CSO musicians and CSO administration," said CSO Association president Deborah R. Card. "Through these negotiations, we all came to a better, closer understanding of one another, and some very important discussions took place.

"We will move forward by keeping the channels of communication open and look ahead with a sense of excitement and renewed commitment."

Under terms of the agreement, in the first year CSO musicians will receive a 2.7 percent increase in weekly base salary for the first six months, and a 4.4 percent increase in the second six months, bringing the minimum weekly salary to $2,260 and $2,360, respectively. By the end of the contract in September 2011, the weekly base salary will be $2,665.

Negotiations between the CSO Association and the CSO musicians' negotiating committee began in June.

Throughout the contract discussions, the CSO Musicians were represented by Chicago Federation of Musicians Local 10-208 president Gary Matts and legal counsel Michael C. Greenfield.