The orchestra's salaries will remain at the current base rate of $2,000 per week, a pay level agreed upon in the musicians' last contract, for the next year. In the second and third years of the new contract, salaries increase every six months up to $2,200 in the final half-year. This will bring the base pay for musicians up to $114,400 from $104,000.
Pension benefits remain the same, at $63,000 per year. Co-payments and deductibles in the orchestra health-insurance plan will increase, and musicians must pay a portion of the premiums in the second year of the new contract.
The CSO association, the orchestra's management, maintains a goal of adjusting the size of the orchestra: by attrition and retirement: from the 111 musicians currently employed to 106.
Talks between the musicians and the CSO association were mediated by the Hon. Abner J. Mikva. In a statement, the CSO thanked Mikva for his "invaluable guidance and strong commitment."