Monday’s (4/15) on the Minnesota Public Radio News site, Euan Kerr writes, “Two more weeks of performances by the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra were canceled by management today, despite reaching a tentative labor agreement with musicians last week. Interim SPCO President Dobson West announced the cancellations in a message to SPCO supporters. He said last week’s tentative local agreement is dependent in part on reaching an agreement with the national American Federation of Musicians on broadcast and Internet rights. West said talks continue with the AFM, but they have not reached an agreement yet. As result, concerts are now canceled through May 5.” On Tuesday (4/16) Kerr reports, “Citing frustration over lack of progress in discussions with locked-out musicians over an independent analysis of the orchestra’s finances, management at the Minnesota Orchestra today announced it has launched a study on its own. The musicians are however crying foul, saying it’s management doing the foot-dragging. Management also canceled concerts through May 12th. … Orchestra President Michael Henson says the orchestra board decided to move forward on its own when the musicians insisted the scope of the analysis extend beyond simple finances. … Tim Zavadil, chair of the Musicians Negotiating committee, says the examining the artistic decisions, board performance and making the comparisons with other orchestras is what makes this an analysis as opposed to an audit.”
Posted April 17, 2013
