British ColumbiaFor the first time in the orchestra’s 107-year history, musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) have issued a strike notice, after months of negotiations over wages.Musicians fighting for higher wages that are competitive with other large symphony orchestras in North AmericaCBC · Posted: Sep 23, 2025 12:10 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours agoPeople walk by the Orpheum Theatre where the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) plays in Vancouver, B.C., on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (Ben Nelms/CBC)For the first time in the orchestra’s 107-year history, musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) have issued a strike notice, after months of negotiations over wages.The Vancouver Musicians’ Association (VMA), Local 145 of the Canadian Federation of Musicians, filed the 72-hour notice Monday evening on behalf of the orchestra’s more than 70 members. That means musicians could walk off the job as early as this week, if no deal is reached with their employer, the Vancouver Symphony Society.VSO musicians have been without a contract since July 1. The union has been in negotiations with the VSO Society since April, according to musician and negotiating committee member Rebecca Whitling. Union leaders say they are fighting for competitive pay that would bring them closer to musicians in large orchestras in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, who earn roughly 30 per cent more than Vancouver players. The union is seeking a 23 per cent wage increase over three years.WATCH | Vancouver Symphony Orchestra musicians prepare to strike: Vancouver Symphony Orchestra musicians prepared to strikeThe union representing the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s musicians says they’re ready to strike. They have been without a contract since July, and as Shaurya Kshatri reports, they’re pushing for competitive pay — saying they earn significantly less than their peers in other Canadian orchestras.”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 Whitling, a VSO violinist, in a statement Monday. “This action is not one we take lightly.”VMA president Audrey Patterson added that long-term excellence depends on fair compensation.”The musicians are the product. You cannot attract or retain the world-class talent that a city like Vancouver deserves if the compensation is 20 per cent below median household income,” she said.Musicians carry their instruments into the Orpheum Theatre where the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra plays on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025. (Ben Nelms/CBC)The musicians’ move follows weeks of outreach to the public, informing of their desire to strike and seek competitive wages, including distributing leaflets and speaking with concertgoers outside the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Vancouver. The strike could disrupt upcoming high-profile concerts, including two performances this week of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert, and kickoff of viral duo TwoSet Violin’s world tour with the VSO on Saturday.In an earlier statement to CBC News, VSS president and CEO Angela Elster said management remains committed to its players. The strike could disrupt upcoming concerts, including performances this week of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert, and kickoff of viral duo TwoSet Violin’s world tour with the VSO on Saturday. (CBC News)”The VSO has put forward fair and substantial proposals that balance the vital contributions of our musicians with the financial realities unique to our organization,” she said.CBC News has reached out to the Vancouver Symphony Society for comment.The VSO, founded in 1917, is Canada’s third-largest orchestra and Western Canada’s largest performing arts organization, staging more than 150 concerts a year and reaching more than 250,000 people.
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra musicians issue strike notice for first time in 107 years
