On Friday, negotiators for the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and its musicians will meet to discuss management's latest contract offer. In Minneapolis, musicians and management of the Minnesota Orchestra plan to meet for contract talks on Monday. Both organizations face deficits, and managers want major wage concessions.

The Orchestra is grappling with a $2.9 million deficit. The 16 jobs being eliminated include positions in public relations, marketing, and finance but no musicians.

Both the Minnesota Orchestra and the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra say big cuts in musicians' salaries are needed in order to stay in business. Neither has made much progress in reaching a deal with their players, as a Sunday deadline looms. Monday a federal mediator took part in the larger orchestra's talks. The chamber orchestra rejected a musicians' counter-offer.

Contract talks between management and the musicians of the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra have hit a sour note. The Pioneer Press reports that negotiations ended Friday with no agreement in sight and a new deadline was set for Tuesday. Compensation is at the center of the negotiations.

The management of the Minnesota Orchestra on Wednesday said that musician salaries would have to be dramatically slashed to put the orchestra on a solid financial footing, MPR reports. The average musician's wage would drop from $135,000 to $89,000 under management's proposal.

The St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has joined the Minnesota Orchestra in cancelling concerts due to a lockout. SPCO musicians did not vote on a contract offer by Sunday, triggering the lockout. The SPCO's board of directors cancelled concerts through November fourth, leaving both of the Twin Cities' major concert halls dark.

For five decades, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra has touted itself as the only full-time chamber orchestra in the United States -- a prestigious ensemble noted for its international touring, recordings and Grammy Awards. But in tough labor talks that seek $1.5 million in annual savings, the SPCO is reconsidering whether it can afford full-time musicians.