Overview
- Orchestra musicians walked off the job on Saturday, Sept. 12, cancelling the season opener and the free Opera in the Park concert.
- The company announced on Sept. 15 that additional performances scheduled through Sunday, Sept. 20 — two shows of Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra and the premiere of Mary, Queen of Scots — are also cancelled.
- Musicians say management’s proposals would amount to a wage freeze or large effective pay cuts after inflation and have cited an earlier 26 percent figure later described as 20 percent; the Opera says its plan raises pay rates but reduces guaranteed weeks of work to address finances.
- San Francisco Opera officials say the company faces a roughly $15 million structural deficit and drew an unusually large $30 million from its endowment last year, and ticket holders for cancelled shows may request refunds, account credit, or donate the value of their tickets.
- Players have staged public pickets and small outdoor performances to keep pressure on management, and talks have continued since the strike started with no further cancellations announced beyond Sept. 20, making a deal or extended disruption the key near-term outcome to watch.