The Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) has made two, nearly identical proposals to the Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra, a first and a final. The MOA has rejected three proposals by the Musicians of the Minnesota Orchestra:
- The Musicians offered to submit to impartial, final and binding arbitration under the guidance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. The MOA rejected this offer.
- The Musicians offered to “play and talk” with a guarantee not to strike while continuing to negotiate. The MOA rejected this offer.
- The Musicians proposed a joint, independent financial analysis. The MOA rejected this offer.
The financial information that the MOA has disclosed to the Board and Musicians is contradictory, outdated, confusing, and incomplete. Despite numerous requests, the board and management have refused to provide the 2012-2013 budget. The Musicians cannot make a more detailed offer without a full, independent analysis.
The Musicians were locked out on October 1. Health insurance and all other benefits were cut off without notice, and a large portion of the season was cancelled.
Cuts and Consequences
- Despite having the sixth largest orchestra endowment in the United States at $140 million,
- Despite having raised an additional $97 million of a $110 million Campaign for the Future, $52 million of which is committed to the renovation of Orchestra Hall’s lobby,
- Despite the Musicians’ contribution of $4.5 million in financial concessions in 2009 and the contribution of further savings through a temporary reduction in the size of the orchestra,
- The MOA’s contract proposal includes 30% to 50% pay cuts to musician salaries, as well as healthcare cost increases that would amount to $5000-$8000 annually per musician. The orchestra’s national ranking would fall from No. 8 to 16; from a world-class to a third-tier orchestra. The proposal contains a significant reduction in orchestra size and more than 250 changes to the contract. These changes and cuts will negatively impact the orchestra’s quality and greatly diminish its product, making it impossible to attract or retain the finest musicians.
The New Business Model
- The MOA’s new business model shifts priorities away from our internationally acclaimed performances of classical music towards pops and entertainment presentations.
- The new business model cannot and should not take the place of attention to artistic quality, marketing, community service, and education. Orchestras with a history of extreme cuts have not continued to serve their communities long term, and no orchestra has ever successfully moved itself into prosperity by intentionally lowering the quality of its own product.
The Minnesota Orchestra needs inspired leadership that believes in the transcendent power of great music and recognizes that artistic excellence is essential to our long-term financial stability.
We are the Musicians and we thank you for listening.
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Why are we remodeling when we don’t even have an orchestra to play in the building. Keep Minneapolis a world class music city. Support a common sense and reasonable settlement. In hard times all must give a little, but the size of the cuts to musicians as offered is absurd. These are highly trained and disciplined professionals. Give them their due.
I love the Minnesota Orchestra. I paid for more concerts in the last two years and have enjoyed every minute of it. I will not support the other groups the board intends to bring to Orchestra Hall. I am ready to ask for a refund so I can continue to support the orchestra musicians with their other concerts. But I have been patiently waiting for you to make an honest and fair agreement so we can get on with the 2013 concerts. Please don’t disappoint me with further cancellations. Perhaps you too should be the ones locked out of your job …no insurance etc….until it is resolved. Are you in this together or not? MOA….you are making a very big mistake for this city. The classical music in Minnesota brings warmth, love and joy to many cold winter nights for thousands of people. The status the musicians have worked so hard for over the years must not be destroyed by your lack of commitment to classical music and the musicians. Please save my favorite orchestra!!!! Get my concerts open in January. Thank you.
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I did not grow up in MN. I am an outsider and one of the reasons I moved was the world class cultural scene in the twin cities. The orchestra and the SPCO being an integral part of the equation. I am disheartened to see how the community is treating this world class organization. We are willing to give away hundreds of millions to other organizations (that are surely unworthy and shall remain unnamed) in the name of a public good while we sit here and risk the future of our wolrd class orchestra. I am truly sad about this. Raise prices as part of the equation. I am willing to help. The pay cuts and the new business model makes little sense. Look at the Met in NYC. they are broadcasting performances as a new source of revenue. Be creative. But please, let us not give up on our musicians and our orchestra.
Dear management and board,
When it becomes clear to the majority of patrons you have tried to keep in the dark, that you are completely comfortable with 40 percent of the orchestra leaving.–Well, I don’t want to be anywhere near the fan. Have you cancelled all of the future recording plans for the next 10 years and the upcoming performances in NY? You can’t possibly believe that you can decimate the current world class orchestra, that has been decades in the making, and then go about your merry business of securing recording contracts and touring engagements in the future.
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