Speaking Of Patron Driven Ethics

Following up on yesterday’s article on the impact of ethics on the current round of labor disputes, it is worthwhile to point out some recent efforts on behalf of patron stakeholders to influence the strategic decision making process within the context of a labor dispute. In St. Paul, the Save Our SPCO (St. Paul Chamber Orchestra) patron group is garnering local press attention for their efforts to influence the work stoppage. …

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Whip It Good In Minnesota

I had the pleasure of chatting with Cathy Wurzer on Minnesota Public Radio’s Morning Edition to discuss the recent Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) labor disputes and what might be needed in order to bring about some positive change. Given the level of public rancor between each group and its respective musicians, it seems as though things are going to get worse before they get better. …

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Big Cancellations In Minneapolis And Spokane Strikes

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

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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A Bad Idea In Any Economic Environment

The Minneapolis Star Tribune published an article on 9/7/2012 by Graydon Royce that reports details from a revised St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO) proposal. Although it appears that both sides seem to sauntering toward some middle ground, one aspect of the latest SPCO proposal jumps out in that they want to create a two tier pay system for musicians: $62.5k/yr for existing members and $50k/yr for incoming musicians.

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