The musicians went on strike on May 9, after playing without a contract for 21 months. The major points of disagreement between the two sides were salary and work rules regarding rehearsals, tours, and recordings. Orchestra officials insisted that the orchestra needed to reduce costs to survive; musicians said that the proposed work rules violated Canadian labor laws and that they were paid far less than musicians in peer ensembles.

In August, with the two sides at an impasse, talks came to a halt; they resumed in mid-September, days after the MSO began canceling the opening concerts of its 2005-06 season.

The concerts scheduled for tomorrow and October 19 have already been canceled. According to the Gazette, the season will resume on October 23, when music director designate Kent Nagano is scheduled to conduct his first concerts of the season, if the new contract is ratified.