The Spokane Symphony announced today several more shows will be cancelled due to the musicians’ Nov. 3 strike.
The cancelled concerts are:
- Symphony with a Splash, Friday, Nov. 9.
- Video Games Live, Saturday, Nov. 10.
- Classics – Rachmaninoff and Pictures, Saturday, Nov. 17.
- Classics – Rachmaninoff and Pictures, Sunday, Nov. 18.
The SuperPops performance scheduled for Nov. 3 also was canceled. The musicians picketed outside the Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox that night.
Spokane Symphony Board President Peter Moye said in a news release “we are dismayed that we have been forced into the position of cancelling this much anticipated line-up of concert experiences.”
“As a local, independent non-profit arts organization, our priority has been to pursue long-term sustainability and protect musician jobs,” Moye said. “While we worked very hard to reach an agreement, the union chose to strike rather than continue bargaining. The musicians are being represented by an international union negotiator, who represents a national agenda rather than seeking consensus.”
However, the musicians have said they were willing to make deep concessions, including a nearly 7 percent pay cut, and that the symphony refused to budge on its final offer, even after returning to the bargaining table.
The board says the economy is affecting ticket sales, forcing it to seek a 13.3 percent cut in musician pay.
The contract between the Spokane Symphony Society and the Musicians Local #105 of the American Federation of Musicians expired at the end of August and negotiations had been ongoing since March.
On Oct. 10, the two groups met with a mediator for a second time, but an agreement was not reached and the union rejected the board’s final offer. The two groups returned to the table on Thursday, Nov. 1 but the musicians halted talks and called for a strike on Nov. 2.
The symphony will put a credit on the account of anyone who purchased a ticket to one of the concerts and they do not need to contact the box office immediately. They can use the credit for a ticket to a future performance once the season has resumed, or can use it toward another purchase.
Anyone who purchased a ticket can also donate the ticket value to the symphony, receive a gift certificate or get a refund. To do so, contact the box office at 509-624-1200. Subscribers can also contact the box office by emailing subscriber@spokanesymphony.org and single-ticket buyers can email tickets@spokanesymphony.org.
The box office is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 10, 2 to 8 p.m.
