After issuing a 72-hour strike notice earlier this week, musicians at the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) walked off the job last night, prompting the cancellation of a show.
Strike action is expected to continue tonight, and the VSO website suggests that tonight’s sold-out Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert show will be cancelled.
“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. We are currently exploring rescheduling options with Disney Concerts and will be in touch with updated concert dates in the coming weeks,” a statement on the VSO website says.
“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.”
Daily Hive has heard from the Vancouver Musicians Association, Local 145 (VMA), which represents VSO musicians and has made some damning comments against the VSO.
“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,” said VMA 145 President Audrey Patterson.
“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,” she added.
We also received a comment from Rebecca Whitling, VSO violinist and Chair of the musicians’ negotiating committee.
“My VSO colleagues are among the finest professional musicians in Canada. Members of the orchestra have honed their musical skills since childhood and have passed rigorous, highly competitive auditions in order to hold positions in the orchestra. As an ensemble, we perform 150 shows annually, the most of any Canadian orchestra, while holding ourselves to the highest artistic standard,” Whitling said.
“Yet our management doesn’t believe that we are deserving to share in the prosperity that the VSO has enjoyed over the past decade. Our salaries have not kept up with the growth of the organization, nor have they kept pace with administrative salaries. This trend needs to be reversed,” Whitling added.
On Thursday, musicians started picketing at 5 p.m. and continued until 11 p.m. Today, musicians are expected to begin picketing at 2:30 p.m. and continue until 11 p.m.
Did you have tickets to tonight’s show?