The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra’s musicians and management have tentatively settled one of the stickiest labor disputes of the musical world this season, a conflict that has caused the cancellation of concerts since October.
Dobson West, the orchestra’s board president and chairman, said on Wednesday that negotiators for both sides had agreed to a contract except for broadcast and recording rights. Once that final issue is resolved the contract can go before the musicians for ratification, he said.
Logistics still need to be worked out, but the goal is to return to performances “as soon as possible,†he said. Concerts have been canceled through April 21, with the next scheduled performance on April 25. The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra is one of the leading groups of its kind in the country, and about seven weeks of the season remain.
“We are excited to return to the stage as quickly as possible,†Carole Mason-Smith, the co-chair of the musicians’ negotiating committee, said. One difficulty in planning for a resumption of performances is that some orchestra members have taken up temporary jobs with other ensembles, Mr. West said.
The tentative contract calls for an 18.6 percent cut in annual guaranteed salary, which will become $60,000; a guarantee that extra pay negotiated on an individual basis will not be cut more than 20 percent; reduction in the number of players to 28 from 34; and better retirement benefits. The old contract expired Sept. 30 and the musicians were locked out on Oct. 21.
Mr. West said that credit in helping break the impasse should go to St. Paul’s mayor, Chris Coleman, who pushed both sides to reach an agreement; his efforts included an eight-hour session of shuttling between the sides at City Hall last month.
The Twin Cities’ other major orchestra, the Minnesota Orchestra, remains idle because of its own labor dispute.
