SNS Players’ Association
DID YOU KNOW?
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•SNS is a full time job. Players must prepare music, and maintain our playing standard, even when not at our weekly rehearsals and concerts.
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•We are highly educated and qualified: 98% of the Orchestra has a Bachelors and/or Masters Degree in Music.
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•Musicians are responsible for the purchase of our instruments, which can cost many tens of thousands of dollars each.
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•Musicians are responsible for the upkeep of our instruments, which can range from $500-$2000 a year, per musician.
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•The gross annual salary for an SNS section Musician is $28,126.
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•There is no seniority pay or promotion pay for SNS Musicians.
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•The Musicians and our Union (AFM 571) have negotiated successful contracts with The Board for 30 years without a strike or lockout.
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•Because The Board has not been meeting the annual cost of living increase in Nova Scotia since 1992, each SNS Musician is $35,000 behind in salary.
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•In 1992 each Musician’s annual pay was cut by 28% in weeks and wages. That money was never re-instated.
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What can you do to help?
Send a letter with your concerns to the following:
SNS CEO, Erika Beatty: ceo@symphonyns.ca
SNS Board Chair Bret Mitchell: Bret.Mitchell@mynslc.com
SNS Players’ Committee Chair, Max Kasper: mkasper@eastlink.ca
Mayor Mike Savage: mayor@halifax.ca
City Councillors: clerks@halifax.ca
Premier Darrell Dexter: premier@gov.ns.ca
Chronicle Herald - Letters to the Editor letters@herald.ca
NOVA SCOTIAN AND HALIFAX ORGANIZATIONS AND BUSINESSES
THAT BENEFIT DIRECTLY FROM THE MUSICIANS OF SNS
Dalhousie University
Dalhousie Arts Centre
Acadia University
Maritime Conservatory of Music
King’s College
King’s View Academy
Parents of children receiving private instruction from SNS musicians
IWK
Celtic Colours Festival
Boxwood Music Festival
Musique Royale
Scotia Festival of Music
The Saint Cecila Concert Series
Halifax Public Libraries
Neptune Theatre
Halifax Dance
Art Gallery of Nova Scotia
The Chebucto Orchestra
Nova Sinfonia
Chamber Music Series Antigonish
Musique St. Bernard
Music at The Three Churches, Mahone Bay
The Music Room Concert Series
Elder Care Homes in HRM
Halifax and Dartmouth Regional Schools
The Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra
All Saints Cathedral, St. Mary’s Basilica, St. George’s Round Church,
St. Patrick’s Church, First Baptist Church, St. Matthew’s Church
Church choirs associated with the above
Walt Music
Strategic Arts Management
The CBC
Halifax Jazz Festival
ECMA
Music Nova Scotia
Atlantic Film Festival
PROFESSIONAL MUSIC ENSEMBLES THAT BENEFIT DIRECTLY
FROM THE MUSICIANS OF SNS
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1.The Blue Engine String Quartet
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2.Rhapsody Quintet
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3.Suddenly Listen
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4.Upstream Music
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5.Maria Osende Flamenco Company
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6.Rejouissance
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7.Tempest Baroque Ensemble
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8.Maritime Brass Quintet
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9.Salsa Picante
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10.The Unprincipled Winds
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11.Nova Brilliante
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12.Library Players
SPIN OFF ECONOMY THAT BENEFITS
FROM THE MUSICIANS OF SNS
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1.Restaurants, Bars, Hotels
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2.Hair Salons
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3.Retail Clothing Stores
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4.Catering Co.’s
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5.Taxi Co.’s
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6.Music Stores
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7.Instrument Repair Shops and Dealers
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8.The Cunard Center
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9.Pier 21
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10.World Trade and Convention Center
If you would like more information about SNS Musicians, please phone 421-1300 or browse this site.
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The SNS Players’ Association is an independent Association consisting of the classical musicians who are contracted professionally by Symphony Nova Scotia.
We are all from a diverse national and international community, coming together to make beautiful music for our Nova Scotian audiences.
Our musicians also perform in small ensembles throughout the Maritimes, and we share our knowledge teaching Nova Scotia’s young musicians, both privately and at Dalhousie and Acadia universities. We also mentor young people through our close connection with the Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra.
Browse our site and visit often. The behind-the-scenes of members of a symphony orchestra can be pretty interesting. We’ll be sharing stories with you regularly on our News and Podcast pages. Share this website with your facebook and email friends too!
We also invite you to come to our concerts and enjoy the real thrill that is live classical music!
Our SNS Players Association holds occasional fundraisers and we disperse the monies for causes like the Halifax Food Bank, Kiwanis Music Festival scholarships, Nova Scotia Youth Orchestra scholarships, and in the past, to sponsor Symphony Nova Scotia concerts. You could compare us to 'Women for Music' if you were looking for a similar model.
Our Association has its own identity. We govern ourselves professionally and democratically, follow Roberts’ Rules of Conduct, vote on motions and act upon majority votes according to our by-laws. Our Players’ Committee interacts with Symphony Nova Scotia’s Management to champion the interests of our musicians.
“HRM fund SNS more”
February 14, 2013 - Press Release
Members of the Canadian Federation of Musicians (Local 571, Halifax, NS) and their employer, Symphony Nova Scotia, have reached an agreement that will end an 11 month negotiation process. A new collective bargaining agreement is expected to be signed by the two parties and finalized in the coming days.
The agreement between the Musicians and the Administration will span two years and create salary increases of 3.1% in the 2012-2013 season and 3.45% next season. This will produce an annual salary of $30,000 for a section musician (roughly half the orchestra are paid at the section rate) by the fall of 2013.
The Administration has also agreed, in principle, to add a third year to the contract in the event they are able to produce an additional 3% increase to the musicians’ salaries. If the Administration is unable to secure the additional funds the agreement will expire August 31, 2014.
The Administration was unable to produce the additional work weeks and increase in pension and health plan contributions that the musicians were seeking. Other non-monetary arrangements were agreed to that will help bring the musicians working conditions in-line with many other professional orchestras in Canada.
“In spite of the uncertainty and unsettled nature of playing without a collective agreement since September 2012, it is very gratifying to have a deal in place. The Musicians showed great solidarity in striving for common goals - respect for the job we do and better compensation for the hard work it takes to perform week in and week out.”, said violinist, Janet Dunsworth.
Oboist and negotiation team member, Brian James, stated “During this long process, the musicians’ spirits have been sustained by the efforts and many wonderful letters of encouragement and support from our audiences and friends. This negotiation was a long and distracting one for the musicians but crucial for the health of the organization. We are excited to once again focus on what is most important to us - bringing this beautiful and unique art form to the stages of Nova Scotia.”
Trumpet player and team member, Curtis Dietz, said, “We are happy the board has given us the commitment that our salaries must be improved and that the chronic underfunding by the city will be addressed. We are encouraged by the tremendous amount of support we have received from the public during our labor dispute as well as from our brothers and sisters in the Musicians’ Union and all the other labor unions in the province.”
“Much work and co-operation between the Musicians and the Management/Board took place to achieve this agreement. We hope this spirit of co-operation will continue to ensure that SNS musicians reach their goal of a living wage, for it has not been achieved yet.” said, violinist, Kirsty Money.
