Following the Minnesota Opera Orchestra’s strike authorization, the Minnesota Opera has released a statement.

The company said, “Minnesota Opera is committed to reaching a fair and sustainable agreement that supports our orchestra musicians and protects the organization’s long-term artistic and financial health. While we respectfully disagree with several characterizations made by the Union — including the cost and impact of its proposal — we want to work through our differences at the bargaining table.”

The statement added, “Given the Union’s lack of meaningful negotiation to date, its recent announcement that membership has voted to authorize a strike is disappointing.”

The company has also provided more information on its economics, and negotiations which can be found here.

On Oct. 7, the Minnesota Opera Orchestra musicians unanimously voted to authorize a strike after management proposed a second consecutive four-year contract with no wage increases. The strike authorization comes just two weeks before the orchestra is set to begin rehearsals and is set to open its season on Oct. 31.

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