With their previous contract expiring August 31, the Musicians’ Society of San Antonio, Local 23, agreed to a four-month contract extension, while negotiations continue for a successor agreement. This allowed the orchestra’s 2017-2018 season to begin on schedule in September.

The terms of the previous contract remain in effect, including a weekly base salary of $1,120 and a 30-week season. Last season, musicians took a three-week furlough to help alleviate the organization’s financial difficulty. The contract covers the orchestra’s 72 musicians, members of Local 23 (San Antonio, TX).

“We are pleased all parties have been steadfast in ensuring the quality of the orchestra, including a provision in the extension agreement that gains made in upcoming negotiations will be made retroactive to the beginning of the season,” says Brian Petkovich, a symphony bassoonist and secretary-treasurer of Local 23.

As of September 1, the San Antonio Symphony is operated by a new nonprofit formed this summer, called Symphonic Music for San Antonio. The new organization is made up of representatives from the symphony’s three largest donors in recent years. Once an asset sale is complete, the musicians’ contract will shift from the San Antonio Symphony Society to Symphonic Music for San Antonio.