DATELINE: August 31, 2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts: Beth Welty, President/Secretary-Treasurer Local 171 welty.beth@gmail.com; Marty Kluger, Vice President Local 171 martinscottkluger@gmail.com
LOCAL 171 CONGRATULATES THE MUSICIANS OF THE BOSTON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA ON THEIR NEW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT
Springfield, MA: Local 171 congratulates the musicians of the Boston Symphony Orchestra on their recent successful contract negotiation. We are deeply encouraged to hear that BSO musicians will have a much greater role in determining the artistic future of the orchestra. We believe that because these artists will be able to share their knowledge and expertise with their management, this partnership will assure that their orchestra not only survives, but thrives.
Local 171 also wishes to thank the BSO musicians for their moral and monetary support of the Springfield Symphony Orchestra musicians in 2021, when the SSO was going through a similarly difficult time. SSO musicians were being marginalized by their own board, a board that refused to schedule concerts when other orchestras nationwide had resumed performances after the pandemic shutdown.
Thankfully, the SSO is now in a much better place. The board and management actively seek out our musicians’ input, resulting in harmonious dialogue. Local 171 believes this will also be the case for the BSO. We applaud the union solidarity our colleagues have demonstrated and wish them every success going forward.