Tag Archives: 149

Canadian Opera Company Orchestra Musicians Fight to Preserve Guaranteed Services, Achieve New Contract

October 30, 2019 IM

by Catherine Gray, Member of Local 149 (Toronto, ON)

Last spring, after a triumphant opening of La Bohème, the Canadian Opera Company (COC) Orchestra musicians found themselves facing a long, difficult summer fighting for their livelihoods and the future of Canadian Opera. When negotiations began on April 18, management wasn’t prepared to discuss finances. In the next meeting, management delivered its proposal: to cut guaranteed services from 120 down to 100, with a resulting 15% reduction in the musicians’ annual compensation.

There had been some warning signs. One of the first things General Director Alexander Neef did when he joined the company in 2008 was reduce the season from seven mainstage operas to six, and performance activity has continued to fall since then. It became clear to the musicians that management viewed unused orchestra guaranteed services as a gigantic eyesore on the company budget sheet.

Although the COC has experienced some financial turbulence, the company has not posted a deficit since opening its new hall in 2006. The endowment performed poorly on the stock market in 2018 and government funding and subscriptions were down, but even in that context, the extent of the cuts demanded from the orchestra was excessive and unjustified. Management wanted to achieve 35% of its savings goals from the orchestra musicians, who make up only 10% of the overall budget.

After a second negotiations meeting, the committee met with the full orchestra to report on management’s proposal—and the thousands of dollars it would cut from musicians’ compensation. The orchestra responded with great support to fight to preserve the guarantee. The musicians also voiced support for rejecting management’s proposal to reduce pay for extras and instead to keep it on par with that of core members.

After several unsuccessful meetings with management, talks came to an impasse. Musicians could not accept a cut to the guarantee; doing so would not only erode incomes, it would encourage the erosion of performances and quality, and ultimately the decline of a major Canadian cultural gem.

The impasse sparked a tangible collective energy to fight cuts to the guarantee, and the musicians began seriously organizing for work action. With the support of Local 149 (Toronto, ON) and in consultation with Randy Whatley of Cypress Media Group and AFM Organizer Alex Wiesendanger, the musicians created pamphlets and buttons to distribute to patrons on opening night of Turandot, and T-shirts in preparation for picketing. There was an outpouring of ideas from musicians of how unused guarantee services could be used to foster greater orchestra involvement in the company, including participation in fundraising campaigns, community engagement and outreach, and educational outreach.

The musicians’ negotiating committee included Co-chairs Janet Anderson and Liz Johnston, Charles Benaroya, Bethany Bergman, and Catherine Gray, assisted by Michael Murray, executive director of Local 149, and counsel Michael Wright of Wright Henry, LLP. Musicians Shelley Brown and Aya Miyagawa also participated as part of a work action committee. The COC orchestra musicians are members of Local 149.

As summer ended and the new season approached, musicians met with the COC Board of Directors and shared their vision—the many ideas from musicians about how the unused guarantee services could be used to better the direction of the company. The musicians also laid the groundwork to become involved in the search for a new general director, as Neef will soon be departing for the Paris Opera. This meeting was pivotal and formed the basis for a relationship that will be critical to nurture.

Shortly after, as rehearsals for Turandot began, the parties proceeded to mediation with the Ontario Ministry of Labour. In a marathon 13.5-hour mediation session on September 25, the musicians finally got the message across the table that cutting the guarantee was not an option, and the parties reached agreement, narrowly averting a work action. Although the musicians made small concessions in overtime, the guarantee and extra musician compensation were preserved, and the musicians even obtained modest wage increases. The new agreement was ratified by musicians on October 1.

The settlement includes an agreement to build relationships and foster collaboration, with added language calling for regular meetings to discuss greater orchestra involvement in the company using the unused guarantee services, and orchestra consultation in the search for the next general director. Musicians believe continuing to strengthen their involvement with the COC and fostering deeper relationships with the board of directors and management will be critical to the future success of the company.

La lutte des musiciens d’orchestre de la Compagnie d’opéra canadienne pour préserver les services garantis et conclure une nouvelle entente

par Catherine Gray, membre de la section locale 149 (Toronto, ON)

Le printemps dernier, après le succès éclatant de La Bohème, les musiciens d’orchestre de la Compagnie d’opéra canadienne (COC) devaient faire face à ce qui s’annonçait être un été difficile et une longue lutte pour l’avenir de leur gagne-pain et de la COC. Au début des négociations, le 18 avril, la direction n’était pas disposée à discuter des aspects financiers. À la séance suivante, elle a déposé son offre : une baisse des services garantis, de 120 à 100, ce qui aurait eu comme résultat une réduction de 15 % de la rémunération annuelle des musiciens.

Il y avait eu des signes annonciateurs de cette tangente. Une des premières décisions du directeur général Alexander Neef à son arrivée en 2008 avait été de réduire le nombre de productions pendant la saison de sept à six. Le nombre de représentations n’a cessé de baisser depuis lors. Pour les musiciens, il était évident que la direction considérait les services garantis non utilisés comme une tache sur le bilan financier de la Compagnie.

Malgré quelques turbulences financières, la COC n’a jamais enregistré de déficit depuis l’ouverture de la nouvelle salle en 2006. Il est vrai que la fondation a connu des résultats médiocres sur le marché en 2018 et que le financement gouvernemental et les abonnements sont à la baisse. Néanmoins, malgré ce contexte difficile, l’ampleur des compressions imposée à l’orchestre était excessive et injustifiée. La direction voulait que l’orchestre absorbe 35 % des réductions de dépenses prévues, et ce, même si celui-ci ne représente que 10 % du budget général d’opération.

À la conclusion de la deuxième séance de négociation, le comité a rencontré l’orchestre pour leur faire part de l’offre du COC – et des baisses prévues de milliers de dollars dans les salaires des musiciens. Les membres ont fortement appuyé une motion visant à conserver les minimums garantis. Les musiciens se sont aussi prononcés contre la proposition de la direction visant à réduire la rémunération des remplaçants, qu’il fallait au contraire s’assurer qu’elle demeure la même que celle des membres réguliers.
Après plusieurs séances infructueuses, les négociations étaient dans une impasse. Il était impensable pour les musiciens d’accepter une réduction des minimums garantis; agir ainsi aurait comme conséquence non seulement une baisse de leurs revenus, mais également une dégradation des prestations, une baisse de la qualité et, à plus long terme, le déclin d’un grand joyau du patrimoine culturel canadien.

Cette impasse dans les négociations a éveillé les consciences de façon tangible chez les membres. Ils ont entrepris de lutter activement contre les coupures touchant les garanties et établi un plan d’action commun à cet égard. Avec le soutien de la section locale 149 (Toronto, ON) et en concertation avec Randy Whatley de Cypress Media Group et l’organisateur syndical Alex Wiesendanger de la FAM, les musiciens ont conçu des dépliants et des macarons, pour distribution aux spectateurs lors de la première de Turandot, ainsi que des T-shirts pour le piquetage. Par ailleurs, les idées ne manquaient pas chez les musiciens sur la façon d’utiliser les services garantis non utilisés afin d’accroître la participation de l’orchestre dans les activités de la COC, dont entre autres une participation aux campagnes de financement, aux initiatives de mobilisation communautaire et aux programmes de sensibilisation.

Le comité de négociation des musiciens était composé de Janet Anderson et Liz Johnston, coprésidentes, Charles Benaroya, Bethany Bergman et Catherine Gray, avec le soutien de Michael Murray, directeur général de la section locale 149, et du conseiller Michael Wright, de Wright Henry, LLP. Les musiciennes Shelley Brown et Aya Miyagawa ont aussi participé aux activités du comité. Les musiciens d’orchestre de la COC sont membres de la section locale 149.

À la fin de l’été, avec le début de la nouvelle saison approchant à grands pas, les musiciens ont eu l’occasion de rencontrer le conseil d’administration de la COC et de faire part de leur vision – leurs nombreuses idées pour utiliser les services garantis non utilisés afin d’améliorer l’orientation de la Compagnie. Les musiciens ont aussi jeté les bases pour assurer leur participation au recrutement du nouveau directeur général; Neef quittant bientôt son poste pour prendre la direction de l’Opéra de Paris. Cette réunion a marqué un tournant et est à l’origine d’une nouvelle relation entre les parties, relation qu’il sera important d’entretenir dans le futur.

Peu après, au moment où commençaient les répétitions pour Turandot, les parties ont convenu de recourir à la médiation auprès du ministère du Travail de l’Ontario. Le 25 septembre, lors d’une séance marathon de médiation qui a duré plus de 13 heures et demie, les musiciens ont finalement réussi à faire comprendre qu’une compression dans les minimums garantis était hors de question. Par la suite, les parties en sont finalement arrivées à une entente, évitant ainsi de justesse le déclenchement de moyens de pression. Même si les musiciens ont fait quelques concessions mineures sur les heures supplémentaires, notons que les services garantis et la rémunération des remplaçants ne sont pas touchés. Les musiciens obtiennent en outre une petite hausse de salaire. La nouvelle entente a été ratifiée par les membres le 1er octobre.

L’accord comprend des dispositions visant à favoriser les relations et à encourager la collaboration, dont certaines clauses prévoyant la tenue de réunions sur une base régulière pour discuter de la possibilité d’une participation accrue de l’orchestre au sein du COC en ayant recours aux services garantis non utilisés et la consultation de l’orchestre dans le cadre du processus de recrutement du nouveau directeur général. Les musiciens estiment que l’augmentation de leur participation dans les activités de la COC et le fait d’entretenir de bonnes relations avec le conseil d’administration et la direction joueront un rôle essentiel dans le succès futur de la Compagnie d’opéra canadienne.

On the Cover

RUSH Looks Back on 40 Years of Epic Songs

January 1, 2016 IM

As Rush rounded out its three-month, 34-city R40 tour last year it felt like, and was, the end of an era. Band members Alex Lifeson, Geddy Lee, and Neil Peart weren’t shy about admitting that this was most likely the last large-scale tour for the Canadian trio, if not their last tour altogether. The whole show was designed with that in mind.

Rush was founded in the summer of 1968 in a suburb of Toronto. The R40 tour celebrated 40 years of the three friends performing together. Peart had replaced the original drummer in 1974, just before their first US tour.

All three musicians have been union members throughout their careers. Forty-seven-year Local 298 (Niagara Region, ON) member Peart, joined the AFM in 1968. Lifeson and Lee joined Local 149 (Toronto, ON) in May 1970.

“That was a big day for us; we considered ourselves professional musicians,” recalls Lee of the day he joined with Lifeson. “We were part of something bigger than us. I’m a believer in unions and helping our fellow musicians.”

Throughout the years, most of the band’s tours focused on new material, with a few older fan favorites sprinkled in. But, the idea for R40 was to present every era of Rush’s discography in reverse chronological order, giving “equal weight” to each period of the band’s history. They wanted to include the most popular tunes—both the biggest hits and the obscure ones that diehard fans have long-requested. Lead singer Lee, known for his vocal range, especially early in his career, initially had doubts he could still sing some of the older tunes.

“I thought that was the case with most of the songs that we picked for the tour, but somehow or another I was able to regain that range for this tour,” he says. “I was deathly afraid of doing songs like ‘Lakeside Park’ and ‘Anthem’ [both from 1975], but I was able to shape shift into a younger version of myself and make that happen. I don’t think I’m afraid of anything else anymore!”

You Can Go Back

Then, the challenge for the band became recalling the emotional energy that the songs brought forward sometimes 30-plus years ago. “That was a long time ago. The songs feel a bit naïve and dated, and there is something that sort of makes you stop before you do it … Can I really sing that and mean it?” he says. “But, on this tour, there was such an exuberant spirit on stage and in the audience that it became a celebration of the past and I think that helped me get my head in the right frame of mind.”

In the end, Rush pulled-off energized versions of older tunes that feature the mature band’s expertise and skill. On the R40 Live CD and DVD, recorded and filmed at two sold-out shows in the band’s hometown of Toronto, you’ll find songs that the group hadn’t performed live in many years, and in the case of “Losing It,” had never performed live.

As planned, the band revisited all past eras of Rush in its retrospective, from Clockwork Angels (2012) to the guitar-driven ’90s sound, heavily synthesized songs from the ’80s, the progressive rock era, ending with just three men jamming out on their instruments.

Through all its years of evolution, Rush remained an enigma, consistently creating a sound that the three musicians agreed was right for the times. Defined by the imaginative spirit of Peart’s lyric writing, arrangements from Lee and Lifeson, and the talent of three expert instrumentalists, the trio has inspired a passionate following.
“Generally, we’ve always agreed on what kind of music we want to write and what kind of music we want to perform; any differences really come down to how we want to go about recording and what priorities certain instruments should take,” says Lee, admitting they didn’t always agree, for example, on the role of the keyboards.

The Writing Process

As the lead singer, Lee says he works most closely with Peart to “flesh out which lyrics work best and which lyrics I can write the most successful melodies for, and how that’s going to meld into the bits and pieces of music that Alex and I come up with.”

“Because so much of the final song is dependent on how the vocal melody is written and woven into the song, it sort of makes sense that the major part of the construction of the song and the arrangement falls into my lap,” explains Lee. “Of course, I balance everything and discuss everything with Alex and Neil. I sort of act as a sound board or editor to Neil in terms of what lyrics he’s written that I can use.”

However, Lee says Rush songs don’t always begin with Peart’s lyrics. “Sometimes we write a completed song, we play it for Neil, and he will see if he can write something for that. Other times it kind of goes hand in hand: I’ll have the lyrics in front of me for a few different songs that have yet to be written, and as Alex and I are putting a song together, we gravitate towards the mood of a particular lyric that seems to suit the song. Neil will then sort of go back and rearrange what he’s written to suit the music.”

And even though the process has been expertly honed through 40 years of combining their creative energies and intuitions, much of songwriting Lee admits still boils down to trial and error. “Once human beings start playing it, it takes on a life of its own,” he says.
Throughout their career it was never about staying a course, but about topping their previous work. “We just try to do something as good or different. It’s all about a body of work. And so there has to be something about it that feels fresh; we have to feel like we’re breaking new ground,” he says.

Known for their long tunes, record companies initially pressured Rush to create songs that were more along the lines of a neat, three-minute format. “There is no record executive in the world that doesn’t want to put some pressure on you to write some sort of hit single for them. That’s understandable; that’s their business. In our early days there was much more pressure to conform and be more traditional, and as we became successful doing our own weird thing, they sort of left us alone,” says Lee.

“We’ve always had battles with labels over the length of our songs,” he continues. “They’ve always wanted to edit our songs into shorter versions. I have no objection with the record company requesting a shorter version of the song for the radio, as long as, on the flip side of that, the full version exists. That’s our caveat.”

Lee says the record company relationship has changed when it comes to new bands. “The means of exposure are so different from in the early ’70s. There is less patience and willingness to invest in young talent. That was an advantage we had—record companies were looking for bands and willing to sign you to multi-year deals to allow you to turn into something. Now they want you to be happening already,” he says.

Just the Three of Them

Unlike other bands that grew in terms of size along with their popularity, Rush has always remained three guys—close friends to this day—who are dedicated to being the best band they can be. They meticulously orchestrate MIDI controllers in live performances to make their stage show match the sound of recordings.

Lee explains why the band made and stuck with the decision to be just the three of them, “We didn’t want to mess with the delicate balance of our interpersonal chemistry. It’s very difficult to be a rock band; we find that three is a really good number for longevity—there are no factions in three.”

“The other reason was that we felt our fan base would rather see us wrestle with technology, than have another person appearing on stage with us,” he says. “They see us as a three-piece band and we didn’t want to mess with that vision.”

The result has been a tight and supportive trio that has helped each other in good times and bad, like during its five-year hiatus following the death of Peart’s daughter and wife. When Peart told his bandmates to consider him retired after Test for Echo in 1996, they didn’t know if there would be more Rush.

Lee recalls the band’s decision to come back in 2001. “Of course that whole decision was fraught with worry of every kind; we didn’t know whether the magic we had before working together would return, or whether Neil would have enough heart and soul to be a functioning member of the band after what he had been through,” says Lee.
It took them 14 months to write and record Vapor Trails, and following its release they began their first tour in six years.

Challenges of Touring

Though the band put on shows this summer that were every bit as energized and precise as any time in their careers, this is most likely the finale for their touring days. Both Peart and Lifeson have health issues that make the lifestyle difficult, if not painful. Though he is able to play through the pain with the energy and accuracy of his younger years, Lifeson’s arthritis has made touring more grueling than before.

Peart, known for being a very physical drummer, suffers from tendinitis. He also relishes his family life and spending time parenting his six-year-old daughter. In a recent article he wrote for Drumhead magazine, Peart says, “The reality is that my style of drumming is largely an athletic undertaking, and it does not pain me to realize that, like all athletes, there comes a time to … take yourself out of the game. I would much rather set it aside than face the predicament described in our song ‘Losing It.’”
Still, the band hasn’t officially retired for good. They remain open to the possibility of recording new music or having an occasional show. It’s clear that an eager and loyal audience will be waiting and ready in case that happens.