St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman thought he he'd helped broker a deal last week, after meeting with both sides on the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra months-long labor dispute.
He brought a management proposal to the locked-out musicians Friday, with the expectation that both sides would be ready to sign off by today, the deadline for a possible cancellation of the SPCO's remaining season.
But the musicians balked, listing several items they wouldn't agree to, and the deal appears again to be out of reach.
Today, Coleman sent the musicians a seemingly frustrated letter, basically telling them to get with the program.
His conclusion:
I have made all possible attempts to bring this orchestra lockout to a resolution. I have reviewed the Society’s proposal and your feedback on that proposal, and it appears to me that all of these issues have been resolved. Any remaining differences are either minor or negligible. None of your remaining concerns, in my opinion, rise to the level of importance that would be worth jeopardizing the long-term viability of this orchestra. I urge all the musicians to work together to save this Saint Paul treasure.
So it seems the next movement will be up to the musicians.