In Wednesday’s (1/9) Pioneer Press (St. Paul, Minnesota), Ross Raihala writes, “The locked-out musicians of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra have found a new voice of support from the orchestra’s fans and patrons. A half dozen members of the group Save Our SPCO met briefly with SPCO President Dobson West on Tuesday, Jan. 8, to deliver a petition of support signed by nearly 3,000 people. ‘The goal is to end the lockout,’ said Mariellen Jacobson, chair of the group. ‘The longer the lockout exists, the higher the risk of these musicians moving elsewhere. We’d like to resolve the contract to the musicians’ and (management’s) satisfaction.’ The group formed in late October, after SPCO management locked out its musicians when the two sides could not agree on a new contract. … St. Paul City Council member Dave Thune joined the group Tuesday and said he was disappointed by the ongoing dispute. He also said that the city council has dealt with its own petitions from the public and that ‘the orchestra’s management ought to be listening.’ West told the crowd he appreciated their passion: ‘We know our audience loves the orchestra.’ … Last week, management and musicians sat down with a federal mediator, although both sides agreed not to publicly discuss the meetings.”
Posted January 9, 2013
