(I'm very pleased for the blog's first guest post to be from Melinda Whitley, a member of the Nashville Symphony viola section and the orchestra's union steward. It is a thoughtful and compassionate take on the situation in which the New York Philharmonic now finds itself - or, to be more accurate, in which our industry finds itself.)
It is easy to call for burning down organizations we do not like. The world stage is full of those who fan the flames of conflicts of all types and sizes, but there are those who work to resolve them. There are also many people who are not only willing to be accountable for their own mistakes but are willing to dismantle that which does not function properly, and then work tirelessly to create something better. There is a lot going on in our professional world right now and it is not pretty. Rather, it is extremely disturbing. While I did not previously know about the 14-year-old incident in the New York Philharmonic before recent investigations were publicized, I am no stranger to incidents in my workplace that involve both the legal system and union processes, especially those regarding a collective bargaining agreement.
There are two types of flaws in any system. The mechanical or procedural processes designed to facilitate the function of the system, and the human beings that design and use them. Perfection is a goal, not a reality. There are many in our industry with more experience than I will ever have with such things. Yet, in my limited experience, there is nothing so frustrating as being in a position to be able to use official processes to protect someone from injustice, but not be given the very tools necessary to be effective. Or - worse yet - be denied the ability to do anything at all.
In our unionized orchestra industry, almost everything happens at the local level. When our managements are heard to complain about “the union,” we often respond by stating “we are the union.” And while we have union colleagues all across the nation, and we support each other in many ways, local unions have distinct identities because the individuals in the local are distinctly different human beings. In the same manner, a professional symphony orchestra, including the board of directors, staff, musicians, and even their communities, are both the same and different from each other.
Mistakes happen in any system and are made by every human being. Very few people intend to commit crimes or perpetuate injustice. The important thing about mistakes is what is done after one has been made. In my experience, it is not uncommon for mistakes to be compounded by bad decisions that build upon each other. When that happens, it becomes all the more important for those involved to be held accountable and make better decisions that correct a problem.
The issue then becomes what will actually help accomplish such a goal? Is it berating those who are trying to help? Is it a scorched earth action that will have other negative consequences? Is it wise for those without direct knowledge of the details of any issue to insert themselves into the process? How much noise or attention is too much or goes too far? Where is the line between seeking and supporting justice, and creating more damage to more people?
As a fairly new union steward in my orchestra, I am disheartened and disgusted to hear about the events in the New York Philharmonic. I stand with Cara and Amanda. I also stand with the other humans involved in the events within their own orchestra. I do not know what actions they did or did not take. I do not know the reasons they had for the choices they made.
The system of a professional orchestra is one that contains large power imbalances in many places. Any power imbalance requires accountability in the system. Ultimately, we have built a complex system where that responsibility falls on human beings inside the organization. When that system fails, we have a larger external system to turn to for help.
Like any society, we are required to abide by the laws of our country. We do not allow people to storm the proverbial Capitol when we do not get the result we desire through agreed upon processes. That would create much more damage. If a process fails, we have methods to revisit them and change them. When we learn better, we can and should do better. We cannot do better when we do not know what we do not know.
I sincerely hope that the humans of the New York Philharmonic and Local 802 revisit their decisions and actions and find a way to be accountable and create change. I also hope that city officials in New York and in Colorado will continue to seek justice and that they are given the needed tools to do so. Again, I stand with Cara and Amanda. I believe they were treated very badly and did not have the support I would want to give them, as both a colleague, and a shop steward in any orchestra.
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