The Minnesota Orchestra management has locked out the musicians,
even though they offered to continue playing without a contract or submit to arbitration, and cancelled all concerts through November 25.
They were asking the musicians to take a 35%-50% pay cut, claiming "financial problems," but they refuse to open their books.
The usual right-wing suspects are on the Strib website with their talk of market forces and bashing unions, but I hope that those who have some inside knowledge of classical music will jump in and defend these world-class artists.
(And as a subscriber, I am now sorry that I subscribed. I feel like demanding a refund for those cancelled concerts--I'm told that's an option--with a letter saying that I'm donating it to the musicians' strike fund.)
= new reply since forum marked as read
the books gives a dishonest impression. Unfortunately this scurfuffle will make some donors not give. Now I will say in defense of the Organization, that some higher paid musicians live in nice digs but still it is important to note that just cutting salaries that large of an amount on such short notice would present a hardship most likely for some. I stand with the musicians.
Perhaps they should have put off "redesigning" the historically designed lawn. Left it alone. It used to be a great place to ice skate. 
