Sent to various lists
September 24, 1999
I would also like to add one
small update concerning the orchestra's current status. Last month I reported that the orchestra
rejected a 2 million dollar contract from the government to play at official
functions because it stipulated that the ensemble offer equal employment
opportunity to women. Since then the
orchestra has held additional meetings with government officials and has
accepted a 2 million dollar offer.
Unfortunately, the new contract does not contain any clauses that would
obligate the orchestra to use fair employment policies. The State Opera Orchestra/VPO is still
allowed to require photos with its employment applications, and in the final
round of auditions the screen is still removed so that the orchestra can see
what the candidates look like.
Since the government is
giving large sums to the orchestra without any stipulations that would
guarantee fair employment procedures, there is no reason to expect any change. The State Opera Orchestra (which is the same
orchestra as the VPO) is owned and operated by the Austrian Federal
Government. The exclusion of women is
thus completely against both Austrian and European Common Market law.
Three years ago, in the face
of massive protest, the VPO said it would allow women into the orchestra, but
when the protest died down they simply reneged on their agreement. If you live in the New York City area please
join protesters in front of Carnegie on September 29th.
William Osborne
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