Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra musicians said this weekend they will not go on strike, and the season will open as scheduled this Friday.

But their six-month salary dispute with the symphony board continues.

Symphony board chairman-elect Martin Connor said it was puzzling to the board why the musicians called the Saturday meeting because “they had no new proposals – nothing new to put on the table.”

 Under the National Labor Relations Board Act, when either party declares an impasse, the employer is authorized to proceed to implement its last proposal.

So the symphony musicians will take the board’s initially proposed salary cuts of twenty percent.  The season will be 34 weeks instead of 37.

Connor says the symphony is still three million dollars in debt, and musicians are the biggest expense.

“The musician payroll is our biggest expense.  It’s four million dollars a year.  Unless we can get some relief there, we’re in serious trouble.  And so that’s where thing stand.”

Connor said they’re facing another $1.5 million in losses their year, though the musicians’ union has said it has a plan to reduce to the losses.

Last week, the American Federation of Musicians Local 444 filed a claim with the National Labor Relations Board that the symphony administration is not bargaining in good faith.  They say that they’re exaggerating their financial troubles, citing a review that found the symphony’s net assets increased by $2.3 million from 2004 to 2011.

“We have cut costs drastically across the board,” Connor said.

“Every member of the staff has taken a steep pay cut.”

Connor said the musicians claim they can use foundation money to cover extra costs.

“Foundations by their nature are restricted gifts.  They weren’t made to cover operating expenses,” Connor said.

Connor said they’ve got a “structural problem” and they need to get their “books balanced.”

Though the issue remains unresolved for now, the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra plans to start the season this Friday at 8 p.m. with a performance of the “Symphonie Fantastique.”