The Minnesota Orchestra's management and musicians — now in the 11th month of a bitter labor lockout — are quietly talking again behind the scenes.
Multiple sources close to the dispute say representatives of the two sides met with an independent mediator this week to see whether ground rules can be set for formal bargaining. The mediator idea arose from private conversations with Gov. Mark Dayton, these sources say.
No agreement has been reached, and significant hurdles remain for negotiators who have staked out positions with scorching public rhetoric. Both sides will decide within the next week to 10 days whether they can work with the mediator.
A shift in tone became apparent on Wednesday, when the orchestra canceled six summer concerts. Absent was the spin and blame that has characterized the public-relations battle between management and the musicians, who have refused to come to the bargaining table unless the lockout is ended. A mildly worded management news release provoked no sharp union response.
"I think you can read between the lines," said a spokesperson for the musicians.
Much hangs in the balance as the dispute nears the one-year mark.
The imperiled 2013-14 season includes a high-profile engagement at Carnegie Hall and the opening of a remodeled Orchestra Hall. Also looming is music director Osmo Vänskä's threat to resign if an agreement is not reached by Sept. 9 — a date he said would allow him sufficient time to rehearse with the players ahead of the Carnegie concert in early November.
If another season collapses or Vänskä leaves, and the public-relations machinery spews more denunciations and blame, some see danger to management and musicians in one of the longest labor battles ever for a U.S. orchestra.