British ColumbiaMusicians with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra walked off the job Thursday, launching the first strike in the orchestra’s 107-year history and forcing the cancellation of upcoming performances.It’s the first strike in the orchestra’s 107-year history as musicians call for higher wagesShaurya Kshatri · CBC · Posted: Sep 26, 2025 12:01 PM EDT | Last Updated: 3 hours agoMusicians with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) set up picket lines in front of the Orpheum late Thursday afternoon. (Victoria Kopiloff/Radio-Canada)Musicians with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) walked off the job late Thursday afternoon, launching the first strike in the orchestra’s 107-year history and forcing the cancellation of upcoming performances.Picket lines formed outside the Orpheum theatre in downtown Vancouver where musicians gathered carrying signs reading, “A world-class orchestra deserves world-class pay.”The musicians, represented by the Vancouver Musicians’ Association, say management is turning “a deaf ear” to their demands for higher wages. They’ve been without a contract since July 1 and served 72-hour strike notice earlier this week after months of stalled negotiations.The union is demanding a 23 per cent pay rise over three years. (Victoria Kopiloff/Radio-Canada)The work stoppage means several high-profile concerts over the weekend will not go ahead, according to the VSO’s website.Those include Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert, the kickoff of viral duo TwoSet Violin’s world tour, and The Path Forward, a concert featuring Indigenous artists and musicians from the Coast Salish Territory.The VSO management says it is working to minimize disruptions for ticket-holders and that it remains in contact with stakeholders.Union leaders say they are seeking a 23 per cent wage increase over three years to bring Vancouver musicians closer in line with their peers in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, who earn roughly 30 per cent more, according to the union. “The musicians are the product,” said Vancouver Musicians’ Association president Audrey Patterson in a statement earlier this week. “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 talks have been ongoing since April but with little progress.The base salary for VSO musicians is currently about $75,000, according to the union.WATCH | Unionized 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.VSO management says union rejected mediation offerIn a statement to CBC News, the VSO president and CEO Angela Elster said she was “disappointed” the union rejected an offer of mediation from the B.C. Labour Relations Board earlier this week.”The VSO continues to be eager to negotiate with the musicians’ union,” the statement read. “[We] accepted this offer immediately as a constructive opportunity to move forward.””It is difficult for VSO management to understand how a refusal of neutral and non-binding mediation is consistent with the union’s statements in the media that they want to ‘get back to the table.'”The strike has resulted in the cancellation of upcoming concerts, including performances this weekend of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi in Concert, and kickoff of viral duo TwoSet Violin’s world tour with the VSO. (CBC News)Management said musicians’ base salary is only one part of compensation, which also includes benefits and other monetary supports.”These elements have amounted to a 32 per cent increase since 2019, with further meaningful increases in the proposal we have made to the musicians,” the statement said.CBC News has reached out to the union for comment on the VSO’s claim that it rejected mediation.ABOUT THE AUTHORShaurya Kshatri is a web writer and reporter at CBC News Vancouver. You can reach him at shaurya.kshatri@cbc.ca
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra musicians go on strike, cancelling concerts at Orpheum
