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Strike forces WCO to cancel Halloween concert

Lindsay Christians  —  10/14/2008 2:00 pm

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra will cancel its popular Halloween concert, citing a continued strike by orchestra musicians.

The musicians, who were surprised by the cancellation, began their strike on Oct. 1. Their five-year contract expired at the end of August.

"It's a concert families look forward to all year," said WCO Executive Director Doug Gerhart. "We are really disheartened that we have no assurance that the strike will end."

The next rehearsal is scheduled for Oct. 21 and the concert had been set for Friday, Oct. 24. It seems premature to cancel with almost two weeks left to negotiate, but the orchestra wants to minimize losses from advertising, fees from guest artists and other related expenses, as well as preventing patrons from having their plans changed at the last minute.

Todd Jelen, a bassoonist with the orchestra and a negotiator with the musicians' union, said the early cancellation was "shocking" and sounded to him like punishment.

"It's just retaliation," he said. "We're close. There's no reason why that concert shouldn't go on."

Orchestra staff wanted a guarantee by last Friday that the strike wouldn't threaten the Halloween performance. The union had said it would submit a full contract proposal by Monday, but due to the Columbus Day holiday it has not yet come into Gerhart's office. Jelen said it should arrive by e-mail this afternoon.

"This has nothing to do with receiving proposals or not," Gerhart said. "It has to do with the lack of assurance there wouldn't be another strike."

According to orchestra staff, the last Halloween concert sold 80 percent of its tickets (approximately 800 seats in the Capitol Theater) and donated 100 tickets to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County.

The Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra employs 34 contracted musicians and produces 29 concerts annually, including Concerts on the Square, the Masterworks Series, the Halloween concert and Holiday Pops.

The two sides began negotiating in early March of this year. The three remaining issues in the contract include just cause (the process of firing someone), attendance requirements and the handling of electronic media.

lchristians@madison.com

Lindsay Christians  —  10/14/2008 2:00 pm