What’s the opposite of “accountability?”

The board of the Columbus Symphony announced on Friday that they are unilaterally terminating their CBA with the musicians:

The Columbus Symphony has terminated its labor contract with musicians -- a move intended to save the cash-strapped orchestra $800,000 in wages.

A musicians-union official said yesterday that the symphony's board of trustees can't cancel the agreement, which runs through Aug. 31 and covers 53 full-time musicians. The union will challenge the action, he said.

"Our position is that they do not have the authority to cancel the master agreement," said Douglas J. Fisher, president of the musicians union. "We're confident an arbitrator is going to rule in our favor and the symphony is going to owe us."

Sadly, it won’t matter much. If the musicians do win in arbitration, the board will simply declare bankruptcy and tell the musicians to stand in the back of the line of creditors – and I expect that’s a significant queue already. And, if the musicians and management were, by some miracle, to reach a settlement that wouldn’t be voted down unanimously by the musicians, the board would insist that the arbitration – and any claims for wages for this summer – go away.

There was, buried deeper in the article, a very telling piece of news, however:

Although 10 administrative staff members have been let go, eight senior members continue to be paid -- including Executive Director Tony Beadle and leaders of finance and fundraising.

"I have to be able to jump at a moment's notice in case there's a 2008-09 season," Beadle said.

Mr. Beadle’s services to the board are apparently so valuable that he has to be kept on the payroll just in case the board doesn’t actually succeed in killing the orchestra. I wonder just where the Board thought he would be able to go on if they laid him off too. And of course they need a development director – this summer is going to present such wonderful fundraising opportunities.

So the board – and the senior staff who have run things into the ground – stay in place. The musicians and the rest of the staff – who have done nothing more than do their jobs – get to go on unemployment and try to figure out how to pay for their health care.

The single biggest weakness in the American non-profit sector is the complete absence of consequences for the people who really run non-profits. The board of the Columbus Symphony – no one else – is responsible for killing the enterprise which was entrusted to them. But they don’t lose their jobs, or have to find new careers, or get shunned at parties, or told by the local media that they’re selfish and unreasonable. They don’t even get thrown off the board. They just continue to be board members, except of course that now they don’t have to raise any money. And, unless their bylaws are written differently than those of most non-profits, they can continue to choke the life out of the institution long after it’s dead before anyone from outside can do anything about it.

The Columbus Symphony Orchestra – the Darfur of classical music.

Comments

[Amy Nathans]

You have nailed it! I have been a member of the Symphony Chorus for 20 years. This fall would be my 21st year, and sadly, it probably won't happen. Do you know that our Holiday Pops concerts fill the 2700 seat Ohio Theater almost to capcity 4-5 concerts in a row? The lack of that revenue will be missing if they do not settle before November, thus crippling the CSO further. I have written 5 letters to no avail. No one from Mayor Coleman of Columbus, to Govenor Strickland, to Buzz Trafford(Pres. of the Board),to the Columbus Dispatch has responded to my thoughts, which are in line with yours. This is a losing battle. Trafford and Beadle seem to really want to see this outstanding orchestra fold. This is beyond me. I just don't get it. Do you have any insight as to why they are so meanspirited and anti-orchestra? In a city of Coluumbus' size, we should have been able to support the CSO, but those in the powers that be, have appeared to call it quits.--Amy Nathans(awnathans@hotmail.com)

[Elizabeth Soyland]

Thank you.

[Elizabeth Soyland]

Thank you.

[Elizabeth Soyland]

Thank you.

[spaarhypotheek]

This is a great stuff know,It refreshes mind and soul.Thanks keep going like that.