Orchestra Iowa agrees to historic pay raise with musicians after ratifying new union contract

CEDAR RAPIDS — Following a crescendo of negotiations, Orchestra Iowa has reached a new agreement with a significant pay increase for its musicians.

The three-year agreement, announced Thursday, provides what Orchestra Iowa said is the largest musician pay increase in its history of more than 100 years.

After months of negotiations, Orchestra Iowa board president Jeffery Neilsen called it a financial milestone.

“It’s a commitment to honoring the extraordinary talent and dedication of your Orchestra Iowa musicians, and recognition that world-class music deserves world-class support,” he said in statement.

The agreement with American Federation of Musicians Local 137 stipulates a 10 percent increase in the first year, 0 percent in the second year and 2 percent in the third year. The raise will affect all 68 contracted musicians, as well as all other musicians who play for the orchestra on an irregular basis, such as substitute players.

Orchestra Iowa employs upward of about 200 musicians in any given season.

The union’s successful negotiations come after a near lockout with management, according to Local 137 secretary Bruce Western. Lockouts, initiated by employers, prevent workers from working until terms are agreed to.

“Their initial proposal was a wage freeze when we started this contract negotiation. They were wanting to preempt a strike by the players,” Western said.

Western said that players were upset about wage rates after small increases over the last 20 years that did not keep pace with the rate of inflation. He said previous agreements sustained much lower raises or wage freezes due to circumstances following the flood of 2008, the COVID-19 pandemic and the derecho of 2020.

“It may be the largest (pay increase) in (the orchestra’s) history because they haven't given raises in the past that amounted to anything,” he said. “Compared to where things were going, it’s OK. It was better progress than we thought might have happened a few months ago.”

At the orchestra’s Field of Dreams In Concert performance earlier this year, musicians wore red ribbons and distributed flyers asking the public to support fair pay.

“Since 2018, management’s pay has increased 35% while our pay has increased 2%,” the flyer said.

The agreement comes after a two-year extension to the union’s last contract expired in June. While agreements in the past with Orchestra Iowa Musicians were typically negotiated on an annual basis, the last one was extended as Orchestra Iowa navigated the departure of former CEO Jeff Collier in 2023.

The orchestra’s last three-year contract was from 2016 to 2019.

Comments: Features reporter Elijah Decious can be reached at (319) 398-8340 or elijah.decious@thegazette.com.