Contract Agreement for Cleveland Orchestra

The Cleveland Orchestra musicians and management agreed on a new contract this weekend, making it the second of the top United States orchestras to settle on financial terms recently àmid a season of disputes in the symphony world. The deal in Cleveland, which spans this season and the next two, calls for no raise the first year, a 1 percent increase in the second and a 2 percent raise in the third, according to a joint statement released on Monday. Meanwhile, the players will have to pay more for health insurance and agreed to play four services ­likely to be fundraising or free concerts ­a year without pay. (They provided three such services last year.) They also agreed to be more flexible in the broadcast or recording of performances. The Chicago Symphony reached a three-year contract last month after a two-day strike. Labor disputes have also hit the orchestras in Atlanta, Indianapolis, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Seattle as managers and boards have tried to reduce comp ensation for the players, saying they need to cut costs.