SPCO extends contract two years

St. Paul Chamber Orchestra musicians and management today announced a two-year contract extension, a year before their current contract runs out.

The new agreement, which runs through June 2018, restores some of the musicians' salary concessions in the orchestra's 2013 deal to end a musician lockout.

SPCO President Bruce Coppock said the early extension allows the organization to focus on upcoming projects and recruiting musicians for open positions. "I think it also sends a very important message to the community that this is an organization that has worked hard to put difficulties behind it and is really focused in the future," Coppock said.

The deal, which Coppock said helps musicians with less seniority, gives a $4,000 increase in the first year to musicians earning less than $80,000 a year. All musicians will get a $2,000 raise in the second year. Minimum salaries increase in both years of the deal.

"The principal players came forward and said in order to facilitate a larger raise for their colleagues who earn less, they would take a freeze for the first year, which I thought was a wonderful and magnanimous gesture," Coppock said.

The salary increases restore some of the wage concessions made to end the SPCO lockout in April 2013 when musicians each took a $15,000 pay cut.

Most other areas in the contract remain unchanged, including limiting the size of the orchestra to 28 musicians.