(Updated 10/1/2012 11:45pm CT) It was a busy weekend in the crisis coral: the musicians at the Minnesota Orchestra (MO) and Richmond (VA) Symphony Orchestra (RSO) officially rejected final offers from their respective employers while the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) musicians began filing for unemployment.
Minnesota Orchestra
Keep Your Eye On The Details In Minnesota
According to multiple press reports, the Minnesota Orchestra (MO) has notified its musicians that unless an agreement is ratified by midnight, Sunday 9/30/12 then it intends to initiate a lockout. The labor dispute has been characterized by a sharply concessionary contract offer that includes an approximate 34 percent cut in compensation along with reducing orchestra musicians to 84. And in a less common move, the MO has been publishing complete copies of their proposed offer alongside summaries.
You’re Doomed I Tell You. Doomed!
The 9/8/2012 edition of the Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article by Graydon Royce that examines the ongoing labor dispute at the Minnesota Orchestra (MO) and of particular interest is a quote from Richard Davis, the MO former board chair who is currently leading the management’s negotiation team. According to Davis, there are only two kinds of American Orchestras: those that have gone through painful restructuring, and those that are going to go through it. Pretty cheery, huh?
MN Orchestra Musicians Oppose State Marriage Amendment
It has been a long time since we examined issues related to same-sex and domestic partner relationships but a recent decision by the Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra (MMO) to formally oppose a Minnesota state amendment which would constitutionally limit marriage to opposite-sex couples is a good reason to revisit the topic.
Storm Clouds Gather in Minneapolis
The 7/18/2012 edition of Minnesota Public Radio News published a segment from Chris Roberts that examines the ongoing negotiations at the Minnesota Orchestra and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra. Roberts interviews a quartet of sources to obtain a larger perspective on how these negotiations will impact not only their respective institutions, and the local arts community.