You can codify an anachronism into a contract for another ten years, but this si the real crux of the matter:

The two sides had built into the expired contract a section allowing producers to request special situations in which they can use fewer musicians than the minimums allow. A musicians' union committee would review the request, then send it to a "mixed" committee, which included neutral members of unions who were not musicians. The mixed committee could permit the reduced number of musicians.

Bernstein said the new agreement provides that the producers' requests bypass a Local 802 committee and go straight to the mixed panel. Also, if producers aren't pleased with the panel's decision, the new pact includes an arbitration feature, but Bernstein didn't specify what that process involves. Beaudoin said the mixed committee would consist of individuals with no financial connection to either side. She said the arbitration process was still being written into the agreement memo.

You're going to see a lot of "special situations" over the next ten years. Live music will never go away, there is a special energy of being in the room with live interacting performers, but you are going to see the audience come to pay a premium for live musicians, and eventually a lot of musicians will be replaced with electronics.