VSO cancels shows, blames CUPE pickets
Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun, with files from Neal Hall
Published: Wednesday, October 03, 2007
The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra has cancelled or rescheduled several concerts — including its Classical Musical Tour tonight — because of “violent and obstructive behaviour” by striking city workers outside the Orpheum Theatre.
The VSO’s decision, announced Tuesday, comes just days after a 54-year-old union member, William George McClure, was arrested and charged with assault of a city employee at the Orpheum on Saturday night. He is a member of the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 15, which represents inside city workers.
Police said a man was arrested at Granville and Smithe after an altercation outside the theatre.
The VSO’s season-opening concerts on Saturday and Monday went ahead as planned after the B.C. Labour Relations Board granted an interim order that prevented third-party picketing at the Orpheum’s stage door.
Civic workers were ordered to leave the stage door clear so musicians and technicians could go in.
However, pickets weren’t prohibited at the public entrances to the theatre on Granville, Seymour and Smithe streets.
VSO spokeswoman Kelley Spragg said in a statement Tuesday that the VSO decided not to hold other planned concerts because it was “strongly concerned for the safety and welfare of our customers, musicians, administrative staff, and volunteers.
“We believe that safety is of paramount importance — a belief that has led to the decisions made regarding the [future] concerts,” she said.
She said the conduct of CUPE members on the picket lines for the season-opening concerts “resulted in violent and obstructive behaviour, some of which required police action to mitigate.”
Ticket-holders for tonight’s cancelled concert should call Ticketmaster for refunds.
The Tea & Trumpets concert set for Thursday has been rescheduled to April 10 at 2 p.m. at the Orpheum. Tickets for the concert will be honoured on the April date.
The VSO Pops concerts, slated for Friday and Saturday at the Orpheum, have also been cancelled. Ticket-holders are asked to keep their tickets as the concert will likely be rescheduled.
The CUPE strike is in its 76th day today.
The Orpheum is a multi-purpose facility that houses members of unions not involved in the civic strike. Production-related aspects of VSO concerts, such as lighting and sound, are governed by the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, which represents technicians and are not a CUPE responsibility.
Confrontation 
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