Negotiation updates
Read our recent statements and updates here, directly from the musicians of your San Francisco Symphony.
September 12, 2025
San Francisco Symphony and American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 6 members of the Orchestra reach tentative three-year contract agreement
The three-year agreement provides a wage increase beginning September 1, 2025, with biannual increases rising by 15% over the contract; an increase to the defined benefit pension plan, making it the second-highest in the industry; exceptional health benefits and 10 weeks of paid vacation annually
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San Francisco, CA— The San Francisco Symphony Board of Governors and the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) Local 6 members of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra have reached a tentative three-year collective bargaining agreement subject to ratification by both parties. The new contract will be applied retroactively to November 24, 2024, continues through November 20, 2027, and keeps the Orchestra in the top five highest-paid orchestras in the country. The new agreement guarantees regular increases to minimum weekly scale, maintaining the starting weekly base salary of $3,450 from November 24 through August 31, 2025, followed by biannual increases, rising over time by 15% to $3,960 (a starting minimum annualized salary of $205,920) in the last six months of the contract. The musicians will also receive a one-time additional payment of $3,450 upon ratification of the contract, in addition to an increase to the defined benefit pension, bringing the maximum annual benefit to $89,000—the industry’s second-highest pension benefit among orchestras in the U.S. The tentative agreement continues to provide generous medical plans with low cost to musicians and 10 weeks of paid vacation.
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Joint statement from the Board, Musicians, and Administration: “The Board of Governors, Musicians of the Orchestra, and Administrative Staff of the San Francisco Symphony share a united vision for the artistic greatness and endless creativity of this organization and will endeavor to work together to sustain and build upon that vision. We collectively recognize that the artistic impact of this organization is fueled both by the artistry of our Musicians and by the support of our community. We are all committed to working together to support and grow our connections with patrons, audiences, and our city.”
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Statement from San Francisco Symphony Chief Executive Officer Matthew Spivey: “We are pleased that we were able to work together with our Orchestra and the AFM to reach an agreement that provides highly competitive compensation while also acknowledging the importance of our organization’s long-term financial stability. This tentative agreement is a demonstration of the Administration’s faith in the future of the Symphony and the organization’s deep commitment to its musicians and the Bay Area community. It also requires the Symphony to stretch financially with the support and generosity of our community to meet the new contract terms in the years to come. Our artists are the lifeblood of our work and mission, and, without them, our organization would not be what it is today. We are grateful that we can all continue to deliver exceptional classical music performances to our Bay Area community. I also want to thank both the staff and musicians who have been involved in the negotiations, as well as the board, staff, and entire Orchestra for their commitment to a bright future for this organization.”
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Statement from David Gaudry, Chair of the Musicians’ Negotiating Committee: “The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony are grateful for the renewed commitment and support for the Orchestra and the artistic future of this great institution demonstrated by our coming together on the terms of a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. We continue to acknowledge the economic challenges facing the organization, the importance of long-term fiscal health, and the commitment demonstrated by the Board. We are confident that working together to support this organization will allow us to continue to be able to present the type of innovative programming and world-class symphonic music for which we have become known.”
September 4, 2025
Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony approve strike authorization
Strike Authorization allows for a labor action to take place at any time, which could come in the near future if a fair agreement is not reached
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After over a year of negotiations, Symphony leadership has not presented a contract that offers fair compensation, values artistic leadership, restores vital programming, or establishes proactive fundraising efforts and transparent financial practices
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA – The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony today announced that the Orchestra has voted to approve a strike authorization, allowing for a labor action to take place in the near future if a new contract is not reached. The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony have played for nearly a year without a long-term contract. Despite their efforts to negotiate in good faith with management, the Musicians have not been presented with a fair contract proposal to date. The strike authorization allows for a labor action to take place should progress continue to stall in negotiations.
Despite negotiations taking place throughout the summer, no agreement has been reached and ongoing contract discussions continue to center around compensation, organizational leadership, programming, and the financial health of the institution. A year after the high-profile and unexpected departure of the Symphony’s music director due to disagreements with management and the board, there is still no new announced Music Director, no plan to resume touring, no plan to restore programming, and no known plans from the board to fundraise or increase philanthropy.
“We are disappointed that negotiations have come to this point, but after nearly two years of negotiating, it has become clear that we have no choice but to plan for a strike,” said Dave Gaudry, Violist and Chairperson of the Musicians’ Negotiating Committee. “ We have continued to negotiate in good faith throughout the summer, but the proposals presented to us are still far below the bare minimum of what an acceptable offer looks like. Management has made it clear they are not willing to come to the table with a fair deal that the Musicians rightfully deserve. If we were to accept management’s current offer, we would not only be committing ourselves to a deal that will negatively impact the Musicians’ lives, but that would also jeopardize the institution’s word-class standing.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Musicians accepted pay reductions to support the organization. As of May 2025, these salaries have not been fully restored to pre-pandemic levels. The musicians are the only group among peer orchestras whose pay has not been fully reinstated post-pandemic. Yet, Symphony management has not only restored their own salaries to pre-pandemic levels but have dramatically increased non-musician salaries along with spending on administrative/non-artistic matters.
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Symphony leadership has claimed multiple times that the organization is facing financial hardship, citing a cumulative deficit of $116 million over the past decade. But, as the Musicians pointed out, that number excluded multiple sources of revenue, including $24 million in government pandemic assistance, $33 million in gains on pension assets and $164 million in market returns on the SFS’s invested assets. The latest audited financial report states that over $119 million is available for appropriation in the endowment, $58 million of which is available for appropriation without any donor restrictions.
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In apparent recognition that their claimed $116 million cumulative deficit number was wrong, leadership suddenly shifted its position in May 2025, claiming that instead of their prior ten-year number, there was actually a fifteen-year $46 million deficit, reaching back to capture the losses from the great recession of 2009. Contrary to these claims, the facts, including the omitted revenue sources, show a $106 million net gain from 2013 through 2023​.
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Since the Symphony initially made their deficit claims in March 2024, the latest publicly available audited financial statement from the end of the 2024 fiscal year shows that total net assets grew an additional $28.8 million—now totaling $404.5 million.
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The latest proposal from management would set salaries at a level roughly equivalent to what was supposed to be attained by the Musicians in the last year of their 2018-2022 contract. Considering normal salary growth and the exorbitant inflation experienced since that time, this represents a significant cut.​
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The musicians are seeking:
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Fair Compensation: Restoration of salaries to levels promised in the 2018 contract, adjusted for inflation, to remain competitive with peer institutions.
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Artistic Leadership: Appointment of a world-class music director with board support for their artistic vision.
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Program Restoration: Reinstatement of cut programming and touring activities.
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Financial Transparency and Fundraising: A commitment from the board to proactive fundraising efforts and transparent financial practices to ensure the Symphony's sustainability.
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The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony are committed to preserving the institution's legacy of excellence. The Musicians are seeking a fair contract and a collaborative approach for the future to ensure the Symphony's continued success and world-class status.
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May 8, 2025
Just the facts
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The Musicians of the San Francisco Symphony (SFS) are currently in negotiations with Symphony management for a new, fair contract after more than a year without a long-term contract. The discussions center around compensation, organizational leadership, programming, and the financial health of the institution.
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Contractual Issues​
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Pandemic Pay Cuts: During the COVID-19 pandemic, SFS musicians accepted pay reductions to support the organization. As of May 2025, these salaries have not been fully restored to pre-pandemic levels.
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Peer Comparison: SFS musicians are the only group among peer orchestras whose pay has not been fully reinstated post-pandemic. The LA Philharmonic was the last of our peer orchestras to have their compensation restored in 2022.
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Management Compensation: In contrast, Symphony management has restored their salaries to pre-pandemic levels and increased spending on administrative costs.
Organizational Leadership and Programming​
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Music Director Vacancy: Following the loss of Music Director Esa-Pekka Salonen in March 2024, citing the board’s unwillingness to invest in his artistic vision, the Symphony has yet to announce a successor.
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Programming and Touring: There is currently no announced plan to resume touring or restore previously reduced programming, which are vital components of the Symphony's outreach and revenue generation.
Financial Health
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Deficit Claims: Symphony management initially reported a 10-year deficit of $116 million. However, this figure did not account for growth in net assets deemed "restricted" or COVID-19 relief funding. Their updated calculations now suggest a deficit of only $46 million over 15 years.
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Net Assets Growth: Despite reported deficits, the Symphony's net assets have grown by $106 million over the same 10-year period, totaling $375 million.
Musicians' Position
We are asking for the following:
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Fair Compensation: Restoration of salaries to levels promised in the 2018 contract, adjusted for inflation, to remain competitive with peer institutions.
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Artistic Leadership: Appointment of a world-class music director with board support for their artistic vision.
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Program Restoration: Reinstatement of cut programming and touring activities.
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Financial Transparency and Fundraising: A commitment from the board to proactive fundraising efforts and transparent financial practices to ensure the Symphony's sustainability.
The musicians of the San Francisco Symphony are committed to preserving the institution's legacy of excellence. We seek a fair contract and a collaborative approach to address the current challenges, ensuring the Symphony's continued success and world-class status.
May 3, 2025
A message to our patrons
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We want to thank you for joining us night after night and for the outpouring of support we have received during our negotiations with the Symphony for a new, fair contract.​
We are demonstrating this week because we are incredibly disheartened to see that Symphony leadership has chosen to launch a smear campaign, complete with a misleading website, against their own musicians while they claim to be negotiating in good faith. While we had hoped that management and the board would prioritize the best interests of the Symphony, their offers to date demonstrate that they lack any plan or vision to grow the organization or even maintain its status as a world-class orchestra. Instead, they are insistent upon imposing drastic cuts that will hurt the Symphony for years to come.
We are fighting for the future of the organization. A year after the high-profile and unexpected departure of the Symphony’s music director due to disagreements with management and the board, there is still no new announced music director, no plan to resume touring, no plan to restore programming, and no plan from the board to fundraise or increase philanthropy. Promising young musicians are already beginning to leave or apply for jobs elsewhere.
The musicians have already sacrificed greatly. We took pay cuts during the pandemic, and we are the only peer orchestra in the country that has not had our pay fully restored. While the musicians have taken sustained reductions in salary, Symphony management has not only restored their own salaries to pre-pandemic levels, but they have greatly increased spending on management costs.
The Symphony's conflicting financial claims throughout the last year have not held up to scrutiny. Initially, they claimed a 10-year deficit of $116 million, even though their net assets had grown by $106 million during that same time, to a total of $375 million in net assets.
After reviewing their financials, it was discovered that their supposed “deficits” excluded all growth on net assets they deemed “restricted,” as well as COVID relief funding intended to replace lost revenue. They have now changed their tune and claim a supposed deficit of only $46 million over the last 15 years. What is clear is that their claims of financial distress have been greatly exaggerated and should not be taken at face value.
Management’s initial contract offers would further cut salaries to levels not seen since 2015 and freeze salaries for four years, as well as substantially reduce the size of the orchestra. They remain steadfast on making further cuts to programming and educational offerings, while simultaneously implementing an indefinite pause on touring. These drastic cuts will only make it more difficult to fundraise and attract audiences.
We would like nothing more than to focus on our craft, and perform for the patrons we love. Instead of blaming us for their own mismanagement, it is time for management and the board to negotiate in good faith and present a proactive, positive vision to restore the Symphony to its world-class status.
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