Montreal Symphony reaches pay deal

The Montreal Symphony Orchestra's management on Tuesday reached a new deal with musicians after a months-long dispute over salary and work conditions, on the eve of the opening of its new concert hall. The two sides had been at odds for months over pay and workload, but spent the last week in intense talks to reach an agreement before the inauguration of the custom-built 1,900-seat symphony hall, the orchestra's new home. "Both management and the union agreed to compromises and demonstrated the openness needed to reach an understanding," the head of the orchestra's board, former Quebec prime minister Lucien Bouchard, said in a statement. The new collective bargaining agreement -- which runs through 2014 -- calls for pay rises of 10.5 percent over the four years from 2010 through 2014, management said. Workers were busy Tuesday putting the final touches on the concert hall, the centerpiece of Montreal's new arts and entertainment district. The Montreal Symphony Orchestra, one of North America's best led by conductor Kent Nagano, was to open its new season Wednesday with works by three local composers, followed by Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.