San Francisco Opera orchestra goes on strike; opening performances canceled

Season-opening performances of the San Francisco Opera have been canceled, as orchestra musicians announced a strike.

On Saturday night, the Musicians of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra announced the strike, moments before the scheduled performance of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra. The free Opera in the Park concert, scheduled for Sunday, was also canceled.

"A strike is not something we take lightly, and we are deeply sorry to everyone who planned to spend this evening at the opera. We have been clear throughout these negotiations that management's offers were insufficient, and that without a fair contract we would have no choice but to stop work," said the orchestra, which is represented by the American Federation of Musicians Local 6.

The previous contract expired on July 31.

In a statement, the musicians claimed that the latest proposal by management was a five-year wage freeze, which is equivalent to a 20% cut over the length of the deal when accounting for inflation. The musicians said six productions have sold out in the last three years and donations to the opera have exceeded goals.

"Management's insistence on cuts has left us no other option," the musicians added.

San Francisco Opera management said in a separate statement that the despite the growth, the orchestra is in a challenging financial situation, saying expenses have outpaced revenue growth for decades. Management claimed that the opera is drawing from its endowment at an unsustainable rate and that it's structural deficit is $15 million a year.

"As with many organizations, we must adjust to the changing realities of the arts, and we cannot sustain a compensation structure that originated 45 years ago without bringing it into alignment with current reality," said Matthew Shivlock, the opera's general director. "We deeply value the Musicians of the Orchestra and hope that they will return to the pit as soon as possible, such that the whole company can return to bringing transformative opera to the community."

Ticketholders for Saturday's performance can request a full refund or to place the value of the tickets towards a future performance or for a donation.