VSO musicians on strike for first time in orchestra's 107-year history
Several concerts over the weekend will not go ahead
An image from Vancouver Musicians’ Association social media yesterday as strikes began outside the Orpheum.
THE MUSICIANS OF THE Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, members of the Vancouver Musicians’ Association, and Local 145 of the Canadian Federation of Musicians started picketing the Orpheum last night.
The job action came after an agreement could not be reached with the employer, the Vancouver Symphony Society—marking the first strike in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s 107-year history.
Picket lines are set to continue today (September 26) from 3 pm to 11 pm at the same site.
The union has been without a contract since July 1 and served a 72-hour strike notice earlier this week.
The labour action means several concerts over the weekend will not go ahead, according to the VSO’s website. Those include Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert, the kickoff of viral duo TwoSet Violin’s world tour, and The Path Forward Indigenous concert, which was to have included performances by artists and musicians from the Coast Salish Territory, culminating in a free concert by celebrated 2-Spirit artist Jeremy Dutcher at the Orpheum.
“We were looking forward to welcoming you to the Orpheum and apologize for the disruption to your plans….Please hold on to your tickets as they will remain valid for the new concerts. All ticket buyers have been notified via email with further details,” the VSO says on its site for the cancelled ticketed shows.
On July 17, the symphony society presented the 70-plus members an offer it called final. On July 31, the musicians rejected that offer with a 97.4-percent strike authorization vote.
In a statement today, VMA 145 president Audrey Patterson said: “If Vancouver wants to be a world-class city, it needs world-class institutions. The Vancouver Symphony has been one of those institutions for 107 years, thanks to the dedication and stewardship of its musicians and the Society until now. To keep this orchestra at a world-class level, the VSS needs to invest in musician compensation. There is no reason that the financial success enjoyed by the VSO over the past decade shouldn’t be shared with the musicians of the orchestra.”
In a statement released September 26, the VSO said: “The VSO recognizes the right of musicians to take collective action, but we are disappointed on the impact this will have on our audiences and other stakeholders, including the postponement of renowned international artists.”
In a statement issued September 23, VSO’s president and CEO Angela Elster said a “meaningful increase” in wages has been proposed to musicians over the past four years, and a 32 percent increase has already come into effect since 2019. The annual base salary for VSO musicians is just over $75,000—an amount union reps have said does not measure up to other major orchestras like the Toronto Symphony, where base wages for musicians are close to $100,000.
Stir will continue to follow the story. 
Related Articles
