Gov. Dayton: Window closing for Minn. Orchestra labor deal, season

The warring sides in the Minnesota Orchestra labor dispute have “a closing window of opportunity” to resolve the situation, Gov. Mark Dayton says.

Dayton told a State Fair crowd Thursday he believes management and musicians have until Labor Day to reach a deal to prevent major damage to the organization, given that orchestra music director Osmo Vanska has threatened to resign Sept. 9 unless the dispute’s resolved and that the fall season and appearances at Carnegie Hall are in jeopardy.

"You know, ultimately you have two sides in this kind of dispute: Both sides have to want to resolve it,” Dayton said. “No mediator can force a resolution so the two sides are going to have to work it out. And I will say compromise means agreeing to things you don't agree with and they are going to have to agree to things they don't agree with."

Management locked out musicians October 1. Behind-the-scenes work continues to find a path to mediation led by former U.S. ambassador George Mitchell.

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