Wednesday (3/20) on the Minnesota Public Radio website, Euan Kerr writes, “Still mired in a contract dispute with its musicians, the Minnesota Orchestra on Wednesday cancelled or rescheduled concerts through April 27. Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra say they are frustrated by the cancellations. In recent weeks the musicians have claimed it’s always been management’s intention to cancel the entire season. Orchestra President and CEO Michael Henson said the Wednesday announcement proves that wrong. ‘We’ve intentionally not cancelled the rest of the season because we want to send a very clear signal to the public and to our musicians and the union that we really want to negotiate and find a settlement,’ Henson said. Musicians have been locked out since Oct. 1. Henson said it’s been almost a year since contract negotiations began and musicians have not yet made a counter offer. He said discussions continue about how to do an independent analysis of the orchestra’s finances. Musicians say they need this before making a counteroffer. … Meanwhile, the locked-out musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra will present two free concerts on Saturday afternoon at the Wayzata Community Church.”
Posted March 21, 2013
