SPCO lockout: Labor Board complaint filed

The American Federation of Musicians has filed an unfair labor practices complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against the management of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.

The national union negotiates agreements over online use for orchestras it represents. AFM President Ray Hair said the union made the complaint because it alleges the SPCO management has not supplied information about performances it intends to make available online.

"To understand their proposal we need to know what those recording are, we need to know who was involved in the making of those recordings, we need to know who the guest artists were, and we have been asking for that information since September," Hair said.

Hair expects an investigation by the National Labor Relations Board on whether to press charges will wrap up within 45 days.

The SPCO management responded by releasing the following statement:

"We have consistently requested that the American Federation of Musicians bargain with us over issues important to our negotiations for a new contract. The AFM has refused to do so, and its actions in this regard violate the Union's duty to bargain in good faith under the National Labor Relations Act. We look forward to presenting our case to the NLRB and expect our position will be fully vindicated."

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