Members of the Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra, concerned about the slow pace of contract negotiations, voted unanimously on June 1 to authorize the union and their committee to call a strike if progress is not made on achieving a new agreement. The first rehearsal for the 2002 season is scheduled for July 26, and the opening performance is July 29.

Since talks began in early February, there have been five negotiating sessions; the last was on May 24. Although these talks have traditionally been slow moving, management’s failure to offer an acceptable financial package and its proposals to change rehearsal length and overtime provisions have caused concern among orchestra members. Job security provisions in the contract are another issue of great importance to the musicians.