Friday, November 2, 2012

Spokane Symphony musicians threaten strike

Posted By on Fri, Nov 2, 2012 at 11:44 AM

Although leadership of the Spokane Symphony originally told its musicians that negotiations over a pay cut were over, talks between the two sides have gone back to the table.

Before heading to another meeting with symphony leadership this afternoon, Adam Wallstein, a timpanist and leader of the committee negotiating for a new contract, confirmed that the musicians have "overwhelmingly" voted in favor of going on strike if a suitable agreement is not reached. They notified the symphony's higher ups about the possibility of a strike yesterday.

Wallstein hopes that it doesn't come to a strike, but says they are ready to do so if needed.

"We’re willing to make concessions in light of the symphony's difficulties. They just need to be concessions that we can realistically live with," says Wallstein.

The symphony has previously announced a 13-percent pay cut to the musicians, a decision which caught a little national buzz this week.

The meeting is set for 1 pm today, but it's unclear when and if a resolution will be made. We'll keep you posted on this.

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Mike Bookey

Mike Bookey was the Inlander's culture editor from 2012-2016. He previously held the same position at The Source Weekly in Bend, Oregon.