After months of quiet labor talks, the brass at the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra took their disputes with musicians public Wednesday, announcing big financial shortfalls they say require major cost cutting.
The Minnesota Orchestra's management posted to its website details of its proposal to union musicians last spring, including a call for a 28 percent musicians' pay cut.
The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra faces "up to $1 million" in deficits, according to a letter from SPCO president Dobson West. He asked musicians to "be part of the solution" during talks leading up to Sept. 30, when the current contract expires.
Minnesota Orchestra's principal trombonist Doug Wright, a veteran negotiator, called all this public disclosure "unprecedented," adding that musicians are "extremely disappointed and rather confused by what happened today."
The stakes are high for each side. Both contracts are being watched nationally for the impact they will have as other orchestras struggle against deficits, declining audiences and institutional costs.
"We've had a lot of questions externally," said Michael Henson, president and CEO of the Minnesota Orchestra, "and we've felt that with a month to go, without having received a counterproposal from the musicians, that we should share this information."
In addition to a big pay cut, Wright said the board's proposal would make more than 250 changes to the contract.
"I don't want to get lost in the weeds," Wright said. "It's easiest to say they are trying to erase 40 years of accrued working conditions."