More shows at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) have been cancelled as musicians continue their strike.
Strike action commenced last week, following a 72-hour strike notice issued by musicians at the VSO, represented by the Vancouver Musicians’ Association (VMA) Local 145, a union of the Canadian Federation of Musicians.
Two major shows in the Star Wars universe were already cancelled late last week, including a sold-out show on Friday. This week, several more shows scheduled to take place at the Orpheum are listed as cancelled on the VSO website.
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Thursday afternoon’s Gershwin & Friends show, which was set to start at 2 p.m. today, is one of the cancelled events.
Two dates for the Music of Phil Collins & Genesis, both scheduled to take place at 7:30 p.m. on Oct. 3 and Oct. 4, have also been cancelled.
As part of the VSO Kids Concerts series, Classical Kids Live! Gershwin’s Magic Key, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, Oct. 5 at 2 p.m., has been cancelled as well.
“This concert is unable to take place due to labour action. We were looking forward to welcoming you to the Orpheum and apologize for the disruption to your plans. All ticket buyers have been notified via email with further details,” a statement from VSO reads.
We received a statement from VMA President Audrey Patterson last week, who stated that the Vancouver musicians’ strike was heavily supported by union members, with 97.4 per cent voting in favour.
Courtesy of Alexander Knopp
“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,” Patterson added.
The striking VSO musicians join many groups who are currently engaged in labour action across B.C. and Canada, including striking BCGEU workers. Thousands rallied in downtown Vancouver yesterday in solidarity with the BCGEU workers.
We also heard from the VSO President following the strike notice being issued.
“We are disappointed that the musicians’ union issued 72-hours’ strike notice. We do not believe that the Union’s actions, including an aggressive public campaign, will assist in finding a resolution when management is still at the table, but we respect their right to strike if they so choose,” VSO President Angela Elster said.
Elster said that the VSO has proposed a “meaningful increase” in compensation over four years, “on top of the 32 per cent increase already realized since 2019.”
We’ve reached out to the VMA for more information on when negotiations may resume.