Minnesota Orchestra musicians take pay cut
Minnesota Orchestra musicians have agreed to contract modifications which will save the orchestra about $4.2 million over the remaining three years of the current five year contract.
Musicians say they agreed to the modifications, which include a wage freeze, a reduction in pension contributions, and the freezing of open positions, to help the Orchestra through the current unsettled economic times.
The reductions follow a few months after the Minnesota Orchestra cut $2.3 million from its 2009-10 budget. Four full-time positions were eliminated, and part-time staffing was reduced, along with salary reductions and wage freezes for Orchestra staff.
Music Director Osmo Vänskä and President and CEO Michael Henson reduced their salaries by, respectively, 10 percent and 7 percent.
In April musicians at the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra agreed to take a 12 percent pay cut for the 2009-2010 season.
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