Vancouver Symphony Orchestra musicians issue 72-hour strike notice

For the first time in over a century, musicians with the VSO have issued a 72-hour strike notice.

For the first time in over a century, the musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra have issued a 72-hour strike notice.

The notice comes after requests for wage increases made to the musicians’ employer, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra Society, were unmet.

The orchestra’s approximately 70 members – represented by Vancouver Musicians’ Association Local 145, of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada – have been without a collective agreement since July 1.

According to Audrey Patterson, president of the VMA, the union has been negotiating back and forth with the VSO Society since March, and the two have met to discuss contracts 15 times since. Five financial offers have been issued by the society, all of which have been countered by the union.

On July 31, the musicians voted 97.4 per cent in favour of job action after the VSO Society presented a final offer that they refused.

“Our goal from the outset of this negotiation has been the reprioritization of musician salaries and a return to putting artistic excellence at heart of everything the VSO does,” said Patterson.

Patterson says the VSO has thrived financially in recent years, which has resulted in an increase in staff positions, upper management salaries, and costly upgrades. Meanwhile, musicians wage increases have failed to keep pace.

“Consistent surpluses paired with a healthy endowment have given the VSO a solid footing on which to now invest in musician salaries, however, other projects continue to take precedence, including a costly European tour currently being planned for April 2026,” says Patterson.

The society’s current offer is a 15 per cent wage increase over a three-year term. The union countered this proposal with a 23 per cent increase over the same term, as well as a working raise for its musicians.

The annual base salary for VSO musicians is just over $75,000. According to Patterson, a musician earning base wages in the Toronto Symphony makes almost $100,000, a “wage in line with other major orchestras” throughout the country.

Patterson says the union’s current proposal aims to “take meaningful steps toward closing the gap between VSO musicians and their peers,” while at the same time acknowledging that a “salary gap of this magnitude cannot be fully rectified overnight, or even over the course of a single multi-year agreement.”

The salaries have already led to the loss of a number of talented musicians over the years, says Patterson. She described them as top-level musicians who loved the organisation, and desperately wanted to reach an agreement to ensure the jobs they had worked so hard to achieve, were kept safe.

“They were integrated, vital parts of Vancouver’s arts community,” she says.

This past week VSO musicians took to social media to make the public aware of their battle, and orchestra members have been distributing leaflets and discussing the ongoing disagreements with concertgoers outside the Orpheum Theatre.

“The overwhelming support we’ve received from the Greater Vancouver community and from individuals around the world since announcing the strike authorization has been truly inspiring,” said Rebecca Whitling, violinist and chair of the musicians’ negotiating committee, in a release Monday.

“This action is not one we take lightly. We firmly believe that prioritizing musician compensation is necessary to safeguard the artistic future of the Vancouver Symphony and to ensure we can continue attracting and retaining the finest musicians.”

The first concerts that could be affected by the strike are this week’s two upcoming performances of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert, as well as the kickoff concert of viral musical comedy duo TwoSet Violin’s World Tour, TwoSet Violin with the VSO, on Saturday.

“We remain committed and eager to return to the bargaining table and hammer out an agreement that is fair and equitable for all parties,” said Patterson.

“We want to get back to the music, but first we need to get back to the table.”

In a statement issued Tuesday, VSO’s president and CEO Angela Elster said the organization was “disappointed” that the notice had been given.

“We do not believe that the union’s actions, including an aggressive public campaign, will assist in finding a resolution when management is still at the table, but we respect their right to strike if they so choose,” she said.

Elster said a “meaningful increase” in wages has been proposed to musicians over the past four years, and a 32 per cent increase has already come into effect since 2019.

As for the musicians’ comparisons of their circumstances to those of other Canadian orchestras, Elster said they fail to account for the fact these orchestras have “significantly higher revenues,” in line with the size of the population they serve.

“VSO musicians are full employees, whose annual salaries are reflective of a 42-week year, and an average of 20 hours worked per week, with total compensation packages that include health, dental and wellness benefits, along with 35 paid sick days, annually.”

Musicians in other cities, such as Toronto, are responsible for covering such vital services themselves, she said.

As far as the upcoming schedule is concerned, Elster said “comprehensive contingency plans” are in place and if concerts are disrupted or cancelled, ticketholders will be contacted with “detailed plans and options.”