While the National Labor Relations Board overturned an Obama-era ruling that gave workers significant leverage in challenging labor practices of fast food restaurants and other chains, McDonald’s will still be held accountable for its misdeeds. NLRB general counsel has been building a strong case for illegal surveillance, discipline, and firing of workers against McDonald’s as a joint employer. Even under the new narrower definition of the law, the fast-food giant exerts “direct and immediate” control over employees at franchised stores. McDonald’s owns the property where locations operate and specify the supply chain vendors, pricing, and store hours.
Tag Archives: current news
Unions Plan to Back Marijuana Workers
California unions are hoping to organize the 100,000 expected workers that will enter the cannabis workforce this year. On January 1, legal sale of recreational marijuana in licensed shops to anyone 21 and older began. The United Farm Workers, Teamsters, and United Food and Commercial Workers all hope to gain members through what is already a $22 billion industry in the state that has the highest minimum wage and largest number of union workers.
Jeff Coffin Returns to High School to Support Music Education
Saxophonist and Local 257 (Nashville, TN) member Jeff Coffin of the Dave Matthews Band paid a surprise visit to music students and their teacher at Spaulding High School in Rochester, New Hampshire. Coffin performed with the school’s concert band, spoke to students, and together with Yamaha, presented them with a new Yamaha YX-500F xylophone valued at more than $4,000. Coffin, who attended Spaulding High School, recalled his friendships and lessons learned from his time spent in Rochester.
The event was a joint effort by Yamaha in conjunction with DonorsChoose.org—a nonprofit that accepts donations large and small from individuals and institutions providing aid so far to 659 public school programs all over the country. Yamaha has matched 3,000 citizen donations, contributing $250,000 to $500,000 worth of instruments, affecting the lives of about 163,000 music students and nearly 700 teachers.
According to Lisa MacDonald, director of marketing for Yamaha Corporation of America, awareness and inspiration are just as important as equipment. “We hope music lovers everywhere will follow his lead and investigate how they can help a music teacher in their area,” she says. “Supporting a music program is an investment in the success of our children as well-rounded human beings.”
FIA Issues Declaration on Sexual Harassment
SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris and FIA President Ferne Downey display the FIA Declaration on Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation in the Entertainment and Media Industries.
In October the International Federation of Actors (FIA) Executive Committee approved a declaration on sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation in the entertainment and media industries. The declaration, authored and sponsored by the SAG-AFTRA recognizes the rights of all performers to a safe and harassment-free working environment and urges the industry to work in good faith with unions and performer organizations to develop a long-term strategy to achieve discrimination and harassment-free workplaces.
“The scandal involving Harvey Weinstein revealed problems that were all to familiar to women—and men—in our industry. We know that sexism in our industry is real. We know that there are sexual harassers who use their power to intimidate. And we know that this needs to change. And as union leaders we are taking a stand—we seek nothing less than a major cultural shift,” says FIA President Ferne Downey.
The declaration was issued during the FIA Executive Committee Meeting in Zagreb, Croatia, on behalf of the FIA’s 87 affiliated unions and performer organizations, representing hundreds of thousands of performing artists in more than 60 countries.
Gadd and Corea Receive Honorary Doctorates
The University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music has announced that it will award Honorary Doctor of Music degrees to legendary musicians Steve Gadd and Chick Corea, both members of Local 802 (New York City). During the past year, the two musicians have toured together. They will receive the honors during their scheduled October 13 appearance at Eastman Theatre’s Kodak Hall.
One of the most widely recorded drummers of all time Gadd is a Rochester native who has worked with many of the world’s great jazz and rock artists, from Local 802 member James Taylor to Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) member Lee Ritenour. His creative drum work can be heard on such hits as Local 802 member Paul Simon’s “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover” and Steely Dan’s “Aja.”
A pioneer of jazz-fusion, Corea’s career has spanned Latin jazz, avant-garde, rock, funk, and classical, having composed several classical works. He’s received 22 Grammy Awards (63 nominations), the BBC Lifetime Achievement Award, and National Endowment for the Arts’ Jazz Masters Award.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominations Are In
The roster of nominations for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for 2018 has just been announced. The list includes The Cars (and members Elliot Easton of Local 47, Los Angeles, and Ric Ocasek of Local 802, New York City), The J. Geils Band (and Seth Justman of Local 9-535), The longtime New Orleans band, The Meters, with Art Neville and George Porter, both of Local 174-496 (New Orleans), and Joseph Zigaboo Modeliste of Local 47.
Other candidates include Depeche Mode, LL Cool J, MC5, Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan, Link Wray, and The Zombies. Among the first-time nominations are Radiohead, Nina Simone, Kate Bush, Judas Priest, Dire Straits, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, The Eurythmics, and Rage Against the Machine (and Brad Wilk and Tom Morello, members of Local 47, Los Angeles).
The voting body comprises more than 900 international artists, historians, and members of the music industry who weigh an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career and the body of work, innovation, and superiority in style and technique.
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame offer fans the opportunity to officially participate in the induction selection process. Beginning Oct. 5 and continuing through 11:59 p.m. EST on Dec. 5, 2017, fans can visit rockhall.com/vote to cast votes for their choice. The top five artists, as selected by the public, will comprise a “fans’ ballot” that will be tallied along with the other ballots to choose the 2018 inductees. Fans will need to login with a Facebook account or email to vote. Voting is capped at one ballot per day. The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees will be announced in December 2017.
Oregon Symphony Balances Budget
Oregon Symphony balanced its budget for an eighth consecutive year in the 2016-2017 season, while increasing the number of concerts it performed by 20%. The orchestra increased its total ticket revenue by 21% and saw an 18% increase in the number of seats sold. Both subscription revenue and single-ticket revenue grew compared to the previous season, and 30% of the season’s concerts were sold out. First-time buyers accounted for 26% of all tickets sold—a 12% increase over the previous season.
In addition, the orchestra expanded its education and community engagement efforts in the 2016-2017 season, increasing programming by 4% and reaching 19% more people. The orchestra’s annual free Waterfront Concert, a daylong music festival featuring performances by area arts groups, drew 15,000 attendees.
Oregon Symphony musicians are members of Local 99 (Portland, OR).
Symphony Education Program Measures Success
California Symphony has measured impressive results from its instrumental education program, Sound Minds. Children enrolled in the El Sistema inspired program have quadrupled proficiency rates in math, doubled proficiency rates in reading, and outscore their peers in standardized testing by as much as 67%.
Of course, an important but immeasurable benefit is developing a love and appreciation for music. Sound Minds offers instruction in violin and cello, as well as fundamentals such as music theory. The program is made up of students from a mostly Spanish-speaking population; 120 children in grades two through six are currently enrolled. Sound Minds was awarded a $15,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts this year.
California Symphony also announced that it achieved a balanced budget for its 2017 fiscal year, thanks in part to quadrupling its donor base in recent seasons. California Symphony musicians are members of Local 6 (San Francisco, CA).
LA Philharmonic Reaches Five-Year Agreement
In mid-August, the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s musicians and management announced that an agreement was reached for a new five-year labor contract, which goes into effect September 18. Highlights of the contract include annual increases to the musicians’ minimum weekly scale wages, reaching $3,168 in the final year of the contract; and new health care plan offerings that will help to manage costs.
“One of the core functions of the AFM is to negotiate contracts that deliver improvements in the lives of working musicians,” says Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) President John Acosta. “We are pleased to announce that our negotiating committee, made up of elected members of the orchestra and working with union staff and legal counsel, has reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Philharmonic that delivers on that promise. This new agreement builds upon the tradition of LA Phil contracts that set the bar for pay, benefits, and respect for musicians in the United States.”
Justice Department Denies LGBT Protections Under Title VII
The US Justice Department urged the federal appeals court in Manhattan to reject a lawsuit from a former skydiving instructor who claimed he was fired for being gay. Rights groups argue that LGBT workers should be protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on basis of sex, race, color, national origin, or religion. Essentially, the Justice Department contends that laws against workplace gender bias do not apply to the LGBT community because of companies that fire workers over sexual orientation will do so whether they are male or female.
This stance goes against a June brief filed by a group of 50 large, multinational companies and organizations arguing that discrimination based on sexual orientation should be illegal, even if that would lead to more employee lawsuits. The Justice Department’s decision came at the heels of President Donald Trump’s announcement that transgender people will not be allowed to serve in the military.