San Francisco Symphony chorus members go on strike, canceling weekend shows

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- If you have tickets to the San Francisco Symphony this weekend, the shows have been canceled.

Union members of the chorus went on strike just two hours before Thursday night's show.

"SF Symphony, you're no good. Pay your singers like you should," chanted the chorus members who formed a picket line outside Davies Symphony Hall.

The union, the American Guild of Musical Artists, has been negotiating for higher pay and equitable cuts since the last contract expired in July.

The San Francisco Symphony canceled Thursday, Friday and Saturday performances.

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Symphony leadership spoke with ABC7 this month and says they're looking forward to continuing negotiations.

"If we lose the high quality of the musicians, we lose the high quality of the art, and so we have to ask ourselves what is important to us. And I think any civilization has to answer that questions, that beauty is incredibly important," said Scott Pingel, SF Symphony's principal bassist.

"We are committed to working with our musicians and I trust them, I really do," said SF Symphony CEO Matthew Spivey.

With its financial belt tightening, the symphony is saying goodbye to its conductor, Esa-Pekka Salonen, who announced in March he was stepping down.

The shows that have been canceled will not be rescheduled. If you have tickets, you can either get a refund or exchange them for a different show.