Negotiations

What’s A Music Director To Do?

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The 11/15/2012 edition of the Star-Tribune published an article by Graydon Royce which examines a letter written by Minnesota Orchestra music director Osmo Vänskä and addressed to the orchestra’s board and musicians. The Star-Tribune generously provided a copy of the letter, which contains a great deal of heartfelt anxiety from Vänskä about the current work stoppage and the orchestra’s future. What’s interesting about the Vänskä letter is how quickly both sides …

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Big Cancellations In Minneapolis And Spokane Strikes

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It was an eventful weekend for the Season of Discontent; in Minnesota, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) board cancelled all concert activity through the end of 2012 and the Minneapolis City Council passed a resolution urging the Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) and its musician employees to resume talks and discouraged using a lockout to settle the dispute. In Spokane, the musicians elect to go on strike following the decision of the Spokane Symphony Orchestra (SSO) board to impose their last, best, and final offer.

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Time To Stir The Pot

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Today may only be Tuesday but it’s already been an eventful week. We had a second lockout in one city, an imposed contract, and <gasp> a three year agreement that contains nothing but (albeit) mild increases. Oh, and an official contract extension through January 2013 (it’s like a super sized play and talk). Apparently, It’s Orchestra Season In Minneapolis Although the field has seen it coming for weeks, the St. Paul …

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Indy Settles

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I’m stuck in flight delay purgatory so I have yet to see a copy of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) agreement but my sincerest thanks to Indy Star music critic Jay Harvey for giving me a call and providing details. He wrote a terrific article that provides an overview of the very unusual compromise that, at the very least, gets the orchestra playing again.

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Spokane Symphony Proposing Cuts

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Although you wouldn’t know it from local press, but if appears that the Spokane Symphony Orchestra (SSO) and its musicians are approaching a potential showdown. According to the SSO musicians, management offered a last, best, and final offer on Thursday 10/11/12. The two year proposal reportedly contains a 13 percent reduction in core orchestra salary, no guaranteed wages for the second year, and what the musicians characterize as an overly restrictive attendance policy that will make earning additional pay outside of the SSO more difficult.

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