Vancouver Symphony Orchestra on Strike

The Musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra are on strike 

 

(VANCOUVER, BC) –  The musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO), members of the Vancouver Musicians’ Association (VMA), Local 145 of the Canadian Federation of Musicians, started picketing at 5:00 PM today, September 25, 2025, after an agreement could not be reached with their employer, the Vancouver Symphony Society (VSS).

 

Picket lines are set up this evening at the Orpheum Theatre (601 Smithe Street, Vancouver) and will be in effect from 5:00 PM until 11:00 PM. Pickets on Friday will run from 2:30pm to 11pm.

 

The Orchestra’s 71+ members issued strike notice on Monday, September 22, 2025. The musicians have been playing under an expired contract since July 1. On July 17 the VSS presented an offer which it called “final”. On July 31, the musicians firmly rejected that offer with a 97.4% strike authorization vote.  Since that time, the VSS has refused to continue bargaining with the musicians, instead choosing to stonewall and stall the proceedings, and to turn a deaf ear to the union’s proposals which aimed to secure wage increases that would ensure the orchestra remains competitive in attracting and retaining top level musicians.

 

“If Vancouver wants to be a world-class city, it needs world-class institutions. The Vancouver Symphony has been one of those institutions for 107 years, thanks to the dedication and stewardship of its musicians and the Society until now. To keep this orchestra at a world-class level, the VSS needs to invest in musician compensation. There is no reason that the financial success enjoyed by the VSO over the past decade shouldn’t be shared with the musicians of the orchestra.”

• Audrey Patterson, President, VMA 145

 

“My VSO colleagues are among the finest professional musicians in Canada. Members of the orchestra have honed their musical skills since childhood and have passed rigorous, highly competitive auditions in order to hold positions in the orchestra. As an ensemble, we perform 150 shows annually, the most of any Canadian orchestra, while holding ourselves to the highest artistic standard. Yet our management doesn’t believe that we are deserving to share in the prosperity that the VSO has enjoyed over the past decade.  Our salaries have not kept up with the growth of the organization, nor have they kept pace with administrative salaries. This trend needs to be reversed.”

• Rebecca Whitling, VSO violinist and Chair of the musicians’ negotiating committee

 

 

 

About Vancouver Musicians Association:

Since 1901, Vancouver Local 145 of the Canadian Federation of Musicians has been representing members throughout mainland British Columbia. As the largest Musicians’ Association (VMA) in Western Canada, their mission is to fight for the interests and well-being of the musicians employed in the VMA geographic jurisdiction. This is achieved through collective bargaining and by establishing a solid business foundation for all VMA members. The many benefits provided by Local 145 to members help to ensure professional musicians receive fair treatment and fair wages for their services.

 

About the VSO Musicians:

 

The VSO Musicians are the musicians of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. They are 71 highly trained professional musicians who perform 150 concerts annually, attracting an audience of 250,000 people, including 50,000 children and young adults. The VSO musicians are members of the Vancouver Musicians’ Association (VMA), Local 145 of the Canadian Federation of Musicians.