An unusual source for replacement workers

It’s not surprising, in the wake of the Louisville Orchestra management’s cancellation of most orchestral activities scheduled for September and October, that the Kentucky Opera, which uses the Louisville Orchestra, would be looking for musicians to replace LO musicians. Their choice of partner, on the other hand, is straight from the Twilight Zone:

The opera’s general director, David Roth, said opera administration is talking with the local branch of the musicians union, American Federation of Musicians Local 11-637, so that it can contract its members to perform the music for performances of “Carmen” on Sept. 23 and 25.
“We must have a live orchestra and live performances at all levels, and that includes an orchestra in the pit,” Roth said.
Roth said that the opera hopes to have musicians contracted by Sept. 1 so that they can begin rehearsals by Sept. 13.
For nearly three decades, the Louisville Orchestra has played the instrumental music for the Kentucky Opera.

Even in the context of the very strange history of the Louisville Orchestra musicians and their local union (some of which was covered thoroughly by ICSOM’s Senza Sordino in its January 1998 issue), it’s mind-bending to contemplate a scenario of union musicians crossing a Louisville Orchestra picket line to play for an entity which is a joint employer, with the LO board and management, of the LO musicians – and crossing that picket line with the blessing of the Louisville local.
Just what do they put in the water down there?