Overview
- Musicians with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra walked off the job on Sept. 12, forcing the cancellation of opening night’s Simon Boccanegra and the free Opera in the Park concert the next day.
- The company announced on Sept. 15 that additional performances through Sept. 20 have been canceled because rehearsals and schedules cannot proceed while the strike continues.
- Negotiators spent two full days and evenings talking after the strike began but have not reached a deal, and both sides remain publicly divided over contract terms.
- Musicians say management first proposed steep cuts and then a five-year wage freeze that would amount to a real-terms pay cut when inflation is counted, while management says its five-year plan raises hourly rates but reduces guaranteed weeks to address a roughly $15 million annual deficit.
- Ticket holders can request refunds, donate the ticket value, or keep the funds on account, and pickets outside the War Memorial Opera House have raised public scrutiny that could affect donations and the season’s recovery.