The musicians of the Orchester symphonique de Québec (OSQ) are crying out for food. Without a collective agreement for two years, they publicly denounce a base salary of $33,300, which barely allows them to rise above the poverty line.
Since the signing of the last collective agreement in 2015, the remuneration of OSQ musicians has increased by $1,200, from $32,100 seven years ago to $33,300 today. An increase of only 4% during a period when the flight of prices is spectacular. The cost of a pound of butter alone, for example, jumped 82% between 2015 and 2022.
The value of the instrument
The profession of orchestral musician, however, requires full-time work, divided between twenty hours of rehearsal in a group and as many at home. “It’s impossible to aspire to ownership with a similar salary, deplores Mélanie Forget, president of the Association of Musicians of the OSQ. The orchestra does not pay for any equipment either: clothing, instruments, repairs, everything is at our expense. »
The orchestra members did the math: the average value of their instrument is $48,000. Most have studied for more than 18 years to become the elite of their art. They must, in addition, pay for special insurance, the price of which, on average, reaches $1,500 per year.
Faced with derisory salaries compared to other orchestras, many left the ship of the capital to sail to other professions or other ensembles. “At the Orchester symphonique de Montréal, the base salary of a musician is $93,000,” says Ms.me Forget. Here, our musicians have been leaving the company since 2015. They are seasoned artists, at the height of their art, who leave because they can no longer earn a living or pay for their instrument. »
The last collective agreement dates back to 2015. At the time, the OSQ accumulated a deficit of $2.7 million, and the musicians had agreed to sacrifice their working conditions to ensure the sustainability of the orchestra, losing two weeks salary in the adventure.
“At the end of this convention, the pandemic hit, and all the orchestras in the world were fighting for their survival, recalls Mélanie Forget. So we agreed to leave the convention open and operate under the terms on the table. We entered into negotiations in January 2022 with confidence, knowing that the orchestra had made up its deficit. Since then, things have stalled: nothing is progressing. »
According to the musician, who has been active with the OSQ since 1998, the capital’s orchestra is coming at a pivotal moment. “The saddest thing is to see young people joining us, happy to have gone through an extremely rigorous selection process. Their enthusiasm melts from the first paycheque, when they realize that their salary does not allow them to reimburse their instrument and their studies or to finance decent housing. »
The Government of Quebec, the City, partners and private donors fill the coffers of the OSQ, in addition to revenue from ticket sales and subscriptions. The OSQ’s most recent annual report shows a surplus of $540,000 for the 2020-2021 season. Donations from philanthropy also peaked last season, reaching a value of $250,000.
In the public square
The administration of the OSQ assures, by email, that it “truly seeks to improve the working conditions of its musicians, while remaining prudent and respecting its ability to pay”. She points out that, “unlike a majority of musicians in Quebec”, her artists are salaried and enjoy “a guaranteed income for 31 weeks. »
Musicians now express themselves in the public square, an extremely rare occurrence in the world of classical music, to highlight the sacrifices made over the years – and to ask for a salary catch-up that has become necessary to ensure the future of the ‘orchestra.
“Having a musician who plays in an orchestra in Quebec is a gem that needs to be taken care of,” concludes Mélanie Forget. However, it is quite the opposite at the moment in Quebec. Since 2010, we have only had wage losses to absorb the deficits. We love our job, we want to continue doing it — but not at any price. »