Given new employer militancy, I have been forced to inaugurate a new feature: lockout of the day.
The most recent employer-initiated lockout of workers is the Minnesota Orchestra [ht: sm]:
Minnesota Orchestra management locked out its musicians at midnight Sunday, and has canceled concerts through November, after the two sides failed to reach a contract agreement. . .
The Minnesota Orchestra lockout decision came as no huge surprise. Management put forward its first contract proposal almost six months ago. It’s a tough document, containing cuts which would slash the average pay of a Minnesota Orchestra musician from $135,000 a year to $89,000. . .
Musicians could each face a loss of 30 to 50 percent of their salaries under the proposal, raising the possibility that some might leave for better paying jobs elsewhere, threatening the orchestra’s reputation as one of the best in the world.
