Tag Archives: organizing

Executive Board Members, Officer Columns

Building a Partnership with Municipal Government

September 19, 2016 Tino A. Gagliardi

Conversation leads to common goals and the strength to preserve live music.

“We are only as strong as we are united,” said New York State AFL-CIO President Mario Cilento, shortly after his re-election at the NYS AFL-CIO Convention August 22. Naturally, I couldn’t agree more. Musicians need to stand together, if we are to fight against the exploitation of our work and the continued degradation of live music. In solidarity and partnership, there is power.

That lesson should not be applied solely to our membership and our organizing efforts, but also to our advocacy and partnership work with municipal governments and agencies. By building strong relationships and cultivating new allies and partners, we will identify opportunities to ensure that our towns, cities, and states are places that musicians can create music, while also affording to live and raise a family.

The rewards are great, and it always starts with a conversation.

Here in New York City, we recently had the opportunity to start a new conversation with the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) when Commissioner Julie Menin was appointed to lead the agency in March. Though we already had a minor relationship with Commissioner Menin prior to her new appointment, we thought it of vital importance that we extend a hand as she settled into the role. Since that initial meeting the relationship has flourished.

We explained the intricacies of the music industry and the challenges musicians face—from misclassification to affordability, real estate, and the difficulties new technologies present to intellectual property rights. After she detailed her office’s assets and discussed her agenda, it became clear that we shared multiple goals and priorities. We both wanted to bring live music to more people throughout the city, and we both agreed it is vital that live music performance flourishes.

From that point forward, the staff of Local 802 (New York City) and the staff at MOME were able to work together on MOME’s Broadway in the Boros initiative, an unprecedented project to bring Broadway performances to public spaces outside of Manhattan, thereby expanding access to the excitement of Broadway and the power of live music.

From the beginning this was a complicated project; there was no model to follow. Which contract was applicable? Who was producing the show? What constraints do procurement laws place on the payment of musicians? Who should be hired and who is contracting the performances? All these questions had to be ironed out. But, because of that initial conversation, the team at Local 802 and the staff at MOME were able work stronger together; we knew we shared common goals and could trust one another’s intentions.

Today, the initiative has drawn to a close and we are working with them to agree to a long-term contract in the event that they choose to expand the program to future summers. We certainly hope they do because, not only did this program bring live music to new audiences and new communities, not only did it pay fair wages and contribute to pension and health benefits, but it was an initiative that will serve as an example that municipal governments and agencies can follow in the future.

Musicians are stronger when we are standing together, and even more so when we have allies and partners to stand alongside. When you can find a shared goal, like the preservation and promotion of live music performance, partnerships can flourish!

Orchestra News, Organizing, Recent News

AFM 100th Convention Highlights

July 12, 2016 IM

During June, the historic AFM 100th Convention took place at the Westgate Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. From pre-convention regional meetings to the swearing in of officers on the final day, the proceedings ran smoothly and were a true demonstration of solidarity.

Among the many guest speakers this year were: SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator David White; AFM & SAG-AFTRA Fund Executive Director Dennis Dreith; Actors’ Equity Association President Kate Shindle; Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) Trustee Dan Beck; General Secretary International Federation of Musicians (FIM) Benoit Machuel; and Executive Director Film Musicians Secondary Market Fund Administrator Kim Roberts Hedgpeth.

The various conference and association representatives—Theater Musicians Association (TMA) President Tom Mendel, Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) President Robert Fraser, Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA) President Carla Lehmeier-Tatum, Recording Musicians Association (RMA) President Marc Sazer, and International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) Chair Bruce Ridge—addressed the delegates.

Among the topics discussed by delegates were recommendations and resolutions for proposed changes to AFM Bylaws to help the AFM better serve the needs of modern musicians. A total of 13 specially focused committees of delegates and AFM staff met to discuss and debate focused topics, concerns, and resolutions relating to law, finance, credentials, measures and benefits, organization and legislation, International Musician, public relations, TEMPO, small locals, election, good & welfare, diversity, and organizing.

Other convention highlights included reports from AFM staff. Director of Organizing & Education/Assistant to the President Paul Frank detailed recent and current organizing campaigns in Seattle, Fort Worth, and Washington, DC. A beautiful memorial service, held on the second day, honored AFM members and staff who have passed away since the last AFM Convention in 2013.

For the most part, “team unity,” led by AFM President Ray Hair remained intact after elections. However, Vince Trombetta stepped down as an International Executive Board member and John Acosta was added. Also, AFM Secretary-Treasurer Sam Folio will be replaced by current AFM Symphonic Services Division Director Jay Blumenthal.

As of August 1, the AFM International Executive Board will consist of President Ray Hair, Vice President Bruce Fife, Vice President from Canada Alan Willaert, and Secretary-Treasurer Blumenthal, plus board members Acosta (Local 47 president), Dave Pomeroy (Local 257 President), Tina Morrison (Local 105 vice president), Tino Gagliardi (Local 802 President), and Joe Parente (Local 77 President).

Look for detailed Convention coverage in the August International Musician.

Organizing

Keep Your Voice Strong, Keep Your Voice Focused

July 1, 2016 IM

by Christopher Durham, AFM Symphonic Services Division Chief Field Negotiator

Orchestra musicians enjoy a unique representational structure. Our voice to the employer is strengthened, and perhaps made more credible, through the participation of our elected colleagues who serve on orchestra and negotiating committees alongside elected union officials. Over the years we have utilized additional committees to address specific bargaining subjects such as touring conditions and health care. With some ambivalence, we have participated in artistic advisory committees and sent musician representatives to symphony boards of directors to offer our opinions and advice to employers on subjects outside the realm of bargaining. Regardless of configuration, these committees and representatives speak with one voice, the voice of the rank and file.

A recent trend, the strategic planning initiative, known by various names—“think of the possibilities,” “innovation forum,” “artistic committee,” “vision committee,” and “long-range planning committee”—has the dangerous potential to dilute this voice. These initiatives solicit the involvement of unelected musicians, at the invitation of a long-range planning consultant, an employer representative, or even a musician closely aligned with the employer (and employer’s philosophy). They are asked to participate in groups with board members and management, discussing issues of the workplace or the future of the institution. Sometimes these efforts are motivated by genuine concerns, but often they reflect an employer’s desire to divide musicians by creating an “elite” group that the employer alleges can accomplish more than “that obstreperous, confrontational union.”

I have seen instances where consultants are hired to work with the organization on a long-range plan. Consultants generally do not want to work with the union/committee. In some cases, these consultants are former orchestra managers who did not enjoy working with their orchestra’s union/committee. Perhaps they fear they won’t be able to push the latest and greatest industry plan or that they will be caught selling a meaningless and expensive grandiose plan.

Often, discussions begin innocently enough but quickly move to issues that should be a part of bargaining or discussions involving the union and elected committee. Individual musicians offer opinions without consulting their colleagues. Members of the board and management tend to believe that these views are representative of all musicians when they may or may not be supported by the majority. Negotiations become more difficult because the employer uses information gathered from these forums to question musicians’ support for union and committee bargaining positions. The bottom line is that these discussions bypass our elected representational structure and divide our collective.

We must be proactive to prevent such internal divisions. If a colleague initiates such actions, it is imperative that each of us speak up about why doing so is harmful to our collective. By voicing such concerns we do not stifle others’ right to speak. Rather, we help to prevent a colleague from undermining our collective right to speak with one voice established through democratic processes. By heading off such efforts we guard against an employer using our own members to break or weaken our union. Colleagues who too readily embrace such employer initiatives may be ambivalent about unionism. While they certainly have a right to their own opinions, they should be encouraged to conduct themselves in a way that does not undermine the collective.

Managements will try to work around the union/committee, if they think they are able to get away with it. This is an easy issue to resolve. If we insist that management deal with our elected representatives, they won’t have any choice but to do so.

A 40-Year Union Perspective, My Final Offer

July 1, 2016 IM

by Nathan Kahn, AFM Symphonic Services Division Negotiator

In 1976, as a first-time negotiating committee member with the Tulsa Philharmonic, our committee was frustrated by the fact that we were totally on our own in guiding our negotiations. Our local union did not know how to assist us, there was no one we could call for advice, and we had no access to other contracts across the country to learn how others dealt with similar negotiation issues. That same condition prevailed in 1979, when the orchestra was locked out for six weeks.

In September 1981, I attended a Nashville Symphony Orchestra contract meeting as the newly engaged principal bassist of the orchestra. At this meeting, the orchestra was divided over passage of a new contract, primarily due to issues of the core orchestra size—full-time musician issues versus part-time musician issues. The music director had fired two musicians because they openly opposed him on the issue of core orchestra size. Here again, the local did not know what to do in this situation.

These events and others culminated in a letter I sent in November 1982 to 30 “regional” orchestra committee chairs across the country, proposing the formation of the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA). Now on the eve of retirement, following four years as ROPA President and 28 years as an AFM negotiator, I reflect upon my life’s work.

I was fortunate to have some of the best mentors throughout my career. As a first-time ROPA President, I received expert guidance and mentoring from former International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) Chair Fred Zenone. Fred was a brilliant man, a dedicated labor activist, and a fine negotiator/mediator. Lew Waldeck, the first director of the AFM Symphony Department, hired me during the 1988 Nashville Symphony shutdown, and to this day, his words and teachings continue to guide and inspire me and countless others who had the opportunity to know him.

When I went to work for the AFM at the West Coast Office in June 1988, I was sent on my first negotiation assignment with the El Paso Symphony after only three days in the office. In retrospect, that was the best way to learn: dive in, take your bumps, and learn from experience. But again, I benefited from sage mentoring from Lynn Johnson, then director of the Symphony Department at the AFM West Coast Office. Lynn taught me invaluable skills in negotiation including, but not limited to, designing a sensible, methodical process, orchestra “powah” evaluation, and the art of the “off-the-record” meeting. To this day, her words, “leave no stone unturned,” guide me in negotiations and in everyday life.

Other mentors included Lenny Leibowitz, former counsel to Symphonic Services Division (SSD), who together with his then-wife Peggy, taught all of us in SSD, ICSOM, and ROPA about negotiations, arbitrations, contract administration, and unionism.

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention retired AFM Director of Organizing Janice Galassi, current SSD Counsel Rochelle Skolnick, and my colleague, Negotiator Chris Durham. Janice taught me invaluable lessons and skills in union and internal organizing. Rochelle has advised me on countless legal and strategical issues (at almost any hour of the day or night). Thank you, Rochelle, you’re the best! Chris and I have been in the union trenches together since 1982. We’ve chewed the fat about unionism and our industry constantly since then. I have gained so much from learning his perspectives. I will sorely miss working with him.

Looking back at some 330 negotiations over the past 28 years, I feel that I did what I could. In too many cases, there was an expectation that the negotiator or counsel “could just wave a magic wand and fix it” with limited committee or rank-and-file involvement. As Lew Waldeck used to say, “There is no magic.” The ability to achieve the best possible contract is directly dependent upon an organized, dedicated committee and a rank and file willing to spend the time and energy necessary to achieve the collective goals.

The Grand Rapids Symphony (GRS) Negotiating Committee, pictured here, and the members of the GRS exemplify the best of those qualities. Going forward, it will be critical to make committee training and rank-and-file unionism training available to our orchestras across the country and to conservatory/university music students soon to enter our field. Symphony veterans will need to pass on their wealth of knowledge to incoming members, if we are to effectively sustain and build upon the current wages and conditions in our orchestras.

As for my future, I will somewhat return to my teaching roots, doing substitute teaching in area schools, setting up extra-curricular classes in critical thinking skills, and continue my passions for hiking and traveling. I will remain active in the AFM, Labor Notes, and the labor movement in general.

I feel very fortunate to have worked in the labor movement, and to have served our locals and our membership over these past 28 years. My sincere thanks to SSD Director Jay Blumenthal and all SSD personnel current and past for the opportunity to work with all of you, as well as many other AFM staff, and countless local officers and committees that help make our union a truly democratic institution.

My best wishes for a successful AFM future.

2015 Grand Rapids Symphony Negotiating Committee (L to R): Local 56 (Grand Rapids, MI) members Paul Austin, Leslie Van Becker, and Elizabeth Colpean; President Eric Vander Stel; member Diane McElfish Helle; and AFM SSD Negotiator Nathan Kahn.

Why the AFM? Collective Action Across the Generations

July 1, 2016 IM

by Rochelle Skolnick, AFM Symphonic Services Division Counsel

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the development of wages and conditions in American orchestras since the 1960s. Actually, “wages and conditions” doesn’t fully capture what’s been on my mind. What I’ve really been contemplating is the extraordinary development over the past 50-plus years of a symphonic work culture that allows a substantial number of orchestra musicians in this country to make a living and a livelihood in symphonic music. It was not always so.

One of my favorite nights of the year here in St. Louis is the last concert of the symphony’s subscription season, when retiring musicians are honored from the stage and at a party in the grand foyer of Powell Hall after the concert. There is food and drink and moving tributes from each retiring musician’s colleagues. A couple years ago, one of the honorees was contrabassoonist Brad Buckley, who served many years as a leader among his SLSO colleagues and famously as chair of ICSOM. The appreciation and respect demonstrated that night by Buckley’s colleagues and his management counterparts were a fitting tribute to someone who had given so much of himself over the years.

This year, I got to witness a similar celebration a week after the one in St. Louis, when I traveled back to my hometown orchestra and the Embassy Theater for my father’s final concert as principal tuba of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic. In the job for 45 seasons, Sam Gnagey saw the Ft. Wayne Phil grow its core from four to 44 during his tenure.

The musicians today have health insurance, pension contributions, and other benefits that make it possible for them to center their lives around their work in the orchestra (supplementing, of course, with teaching and other work) and to raise families and retire with dignity. I’m proud to say that some of those gains were attributable to work my dad was involved in, serving on orchestra committees, as a founding ROPA delegate, and as an officer of Local 58 (Fort Wayne, IN).

But those gains are not secure in Fort Wayne, where musicians have been working without a contract since the beginning of 2015; nor are similar gains made over the past 50-plus years secure anywhere, for any orchestra without constant vigilance and an ever-renewing dedication to collective action.

I fear that to younger generations of orchestra musicians raised in an “entrepreneurial” age of dwindling union density, the striving and sacrifice of previous generations of musicians is invisible. I worry that young musicians, who have spent their entire lives up until the moment they land their first orchestra job (and beyond, as long as they remain on the audition circuit) engaged in a Darwinian struggle for artistic survival, may not naturally adapt to a climate where collectivism brings the greatest rewards. I worry that older generations of musicians, already overstretched with existing obligations, won’t effectively pass on to their younger counterparts the lessons of history and help ignite in them the flame of collective action.

In this context, there are two things of which I am certain. First, in the absence of robust unionism, both within each of our orchestras and throughout the entire music business, we will sooner or later see all the gains we’ve made over the past 50-plus years crumble beneath our feet. And second, the AFM today provides musicians with a superb support structure for the kind of robust unionism necessary to preserve those gains and grow the industry for the next 50 years.

The lion’s share of symphonic collective bargaining takes place at the local level. The exception is Federation-negotiated media agreements, which govern creation of a product that, of course, knows no geographic bounds. Federation media bargaining allows the union to tap into the power of the “super-collective” of all musicians and ensures that compensation will be tailored to reflect the commercial value of the multitude of media products in today’s markets. But even local bargaining, between employers and local unions assisted by orchestra committees, takes place within a nurturing medium created and maintained by the AFM.

While the symphonic player conferences originated with a grain of sand—musicians’ dissatisfaction with a lack of democratic representation within their own union—ICSOM, ROPA, and OCSM are now pearls of the AFM, and are valued as such. Their networks of information sharing and collegial support, including highly effective “calls to action” supporting orchestras in trouble and annual conferences where musicians meet and share experiences, have become indispensable.

The Symphonic Services Division (SSD), created in response to demand from player conferences, functions exclusively to support symphonic musicians and their local unions. SSD maintains a wealth of resources, including wage and condition charts, a CBA database, and a series of educational webinars. And it employs a superb staff available to assist with bargaining, as well as contract administration and enforcement.

The AFM and Employers’ Pension Fund (AFM-EPF), a defined benefit holdout in a world where investment risk is increasingly shifted to pension participants, continues to provide a solid pillar for retirement security. The AFM Symphony-Opera Strike Fund and the AFM-ROPA Emergency Relief Fund provide much-needed benefits to musicians enduring a work stoppage, giving them sustenance to continue the fight.

AFM symphonic musicians benefit further from their association with musicians performing in all genres who share similar concerns about wages, working conditions, and the future of music as an art form. This larger community of musicians empowers the AFM to lobby for legislative and regulatory initiatives important to all musicians, such as those concerning ivory in musical instruments and airline carry-on rules. And all musicians benefit from the AFM’s affiliation with the AFL-CIO and its resources, connecting musicians to their union brothers and sisters working across a wide variety of industries and professions.

I know the orchestras of St. Louis and Fort Wayne are not alone in honoring retirees at season-ending concerts. In the coming season, let’s resolve that before these folks depart our stages for well-earned retirements, we sit down together with them and our newest orchestra members for a conversation about the gains the elders have seen in their professional lifetimes and the collective action with the AFM, which made it all possible. Conversations like these just might light a fire under the next generation of AFM activists!

Officer Columns, Organizing

Theory of the UNIonVERSE

June 1, 2016 IM

by Tina Morrison, AFM IEB Member and Vice President of Local 105 (Spokane, WA)

Everywhere I look there are cusps! It seems that if we can just … press on … a little … further … we’re going to be able to look back and see how all of the struggles of the last number of years have led to identifiable improvements.

Musicians are responsible for doing our jobs and we hold ourselves accountable. The same hasn’t been true of the world around us. Orchestra boards and managements haven’t lived up to their end of the bargain; club owners’ only interest is their own take; there is corporate welfare in varying degrees—bailing out banks, giving tax incentives to companies who then outsource the work, or subsidizing employees of companies that don’t pay living wages; “right to work” for less laws sell themselves as providing workers’ “freedom”; challenges to union “fair share” fees that ensure workers can stand up against employers’ abuses by enforcing their negotiated contracts.

My perception is that “the times they are a changin’.” More workers have been standing up and pushing back. Their voices are finally being heard and questions are being asked. The Occupy Movement of 2011 and 2012 had energy, but didn’t really generate enough of a jolt to create meaningful change. Instead, a number of smaller actions finally made their way into the public consciousness and, like water dripping into a ravine, they are creating gradual change.

One of our realities is that, when more people have money in their pockets, there’s a better chance they will go out for entertainment. In the aftermath of “the Great Recession,” awareness has been raised about the lopsided economic recovery. There’s been critical analysis showing that the trickle-down economics of the last 30-plus years has not created a sustainable economy for anyone. Whether we are talking about the water in Flint, or shining the light on corporate tax evasion and corporate welfare, these public conversations seem to be building awareness for the fact that public infrastructure can only be sustained by public—not private—funding. Public funding is only available if working people are making enough money to sustain themselves, with enough left over to invest in the public good, so that means living and sustainable wages.

After what seems a very long time, working people are regaining a sense of the value of standing together, realizing that individualism usually only benefits the employers. In my opinion, that realization is what will make a healthy culture and a healthy society. Working people, and musicians particularly, have been in a position of defending our value. In the past, when we’ve complained the response was that life is unfair and we should get used to it. Well, actually, we can demand fairness. We can demand respect. We can demand to be valued. It’s not effective to just ask for it.

Our union, the American Federation of Musicians, is moving ahead and is poised to effectively support, advocate for, and negotiate in the best interests of working musicians. I admit to having been somewhat reticent at times with friends and colleagues when talking about our union, but here’s my conclusion: It’s not disrespectful for members to ask nonunion friends to join. It’s not unfair for members to demand that colleagues pay at least their share to uphold the contracts that members helped create, and from which others are benefiting. Fairness is not an unrealistic expectation.

There’s no doubt in my mind every individual musician that comes in makes us—all of us—that much stronger. Thank you for being a member!

Organizing

Everyone’s Voice Counts: Is Your Local Represented?

April 11, 2016 IM

by Joe Parente, AFM IEB Member and President of Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA)

In two months, the AFM will hold its 100th Convention in Las Vegas. Aside from being a historic event for the Federation, the convention will once again afford the opportunity for delegates to help shape the future of our union.

Since the last convention in 2013, the Federation has successfully negotiated most of its media agreements; collected money for musicians due them for violations under the Motion Picture Agreements; continued the fight for expedited visas, the ARTS Act, and for musicians traveling to this country; and supported the creation of the Fair Play Fair Pay Act, which would require AM/FM radio to pay performance rights royalties. However, none of this would be possible without what is probably the most important factor—the Federation’s ability to maintain its financial stability.

Any success the Federation has had over the last three years have not merely been the result of the Federation itself. The AFM relies on each member of the union, through its locals, and in turn, through its delegates at the convention, to make decisions on resolutions, recommendations, and bylaw changes that will affect all members of the AFM. These decisions establish the policies for the Federation going forward.

However, the reality is that we have had an increase in merged locals. And when we merge locals, we lose members. Not once in a while … not every so often … every time. Loss of members means less per capita for the Federation and fewer locals and delegates attending the convention, resulting in some members not being represented.

The number of locals attending conventions over the last 10 years has been steadily declining. Fewer locals, equal fewer delegates, and again, more members not being represented. I know some locals are experiencing financial hardships. I also know that all locals should be involved in the process of shaping the Federation in the future. Those two statements seem to pose a problem to which no one has an answer—at least not yet.

Everyone’s opinions count. Everyone’s ideas count. Everyone’s voice counts. We must find a solution so everyone counts!

Organizing

Celebrating Unity at 40th OCSM Conference

October 5, 2015 IM

by Robert Fraser, OCSM President and Member of Local 247 (Victoria, BC)

This year marked the 40th annual Conference of the Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM). For the first time, we met in Windsor, Ontario; now every single city with an OCSM orchestra has hosted a conference.

The conference was dedicated to the memory of Jim Biros, former CEO of Local 149 (Toronto, ON) and a great friend to both OCSM and the AFM. Part of Biros’ legacy was his work in putting together the Unity Conference between OCSM and the Canadian Conference of the AFM (CFM) in Toronto in 2012. It was fitting that this conference was dedicated to him, as it was our second Unity Conference. Our meeting day with the CFM was very productive, consisting of round-table discussions on two topics: the changing media landscape in Canada due to cutbacks at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and the ever-relevant topic of making the AFM more beneficial to freelance musicians.

Windsor’s proximity to Detroit served us well; we had presentations on the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) recovery from DSO Committee Chair Haden McKay. And there was a presentation from former DSO bassist Rick Robinson, a member of Locals 5 (Detroit, MI) and 9-535 (Boston, MA), who currently runs Classical Revolution Detroit, a very successful program that brings classical music into nontraditional settings.

Our conference traditionally begins with round-table reports from each orchestra. We had two new orchestras attend as observers this year, the Niagara Symphony Orchestra from St. Catharines, Ontario, and the acclaimed period-instrument ensemble Tafelmusik, from Toronto, Ontario.

One of our orchestras experienced a shutdown this past year. The ensemble formerly known as Orchestra London Canada has officially declared bankruptcy, but the musicians continue to perform and are planning a 2015-2016 season on their own. They perform under their social media hashtag, #WePlayOn musicians. The musicians are working hard to build community support. They have expressed gratitude to all the musicians in the AFM who have come to their assistance over the past year.

We had three main guest presenters this year: Randy Whatley, of Cypress Media, has worked with a number of ICSOM and ROPA orchestras over the past few seasons. We were happy to invite him to his first OCSM Conference. He gave an excellent primer on media and communications: establishing your orchestra musicians’ communications network through mailing lists, social media, and contact with the press.

We also had a presentation from the Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA), represented by Dr. Christine Guptill. She gave an overview of PAMA’s activity and described physical and mental health issues often faced by performing musicians. OCSM legal counsel Michael Wright gave a presentation entitled “Bargaining in the New, New, New Economic Reality,” which reminded us of the powerful tool of rhetoric: we risk buying into the “austerity” arguments for restraint in the symphonic sector, not taking into account that we never really enjoyed prosperity during the “boom” times.

The routine business of the conference included work on new electronic media agreements (this is ongoing—there is much to be done in the areas of promotional media, streaming, and physical product media like CDs and downloads). There were presentations from AFM Symphonic Services Division staff covering new online wage charts, reports from the Musicians’ Pension Fund of Canada, and AFM officers. We also shared information with our sister player conferences.

The rich discussions of a four-day OCSM Conference can never be adequately summarized in a few short paragraphs. The real work of OCSM rests with its own members and delegates. We encourage all of our members to engage each other through our email list, in our publications, and through social media. OCSM exists so that no one orchestra faces its challenges alone. We wish everyone a successful symphonic season.

Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) Conference attendees at the 2015 conference in Windsor, Ontario.

International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, Player Conferences

ICSOM Delegates Gather in Philadelphia

October 5, 2015 IM

by Laura Ross, ICSOM Secretary and member of Local 257 (Nashville, TN)

ICSOM Chair Bruce Ridge of Local 500 (Raleigh, NC), flanked by outgoing ICSOM Board officers Matt Comerford (left) of Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL) and Brian Rood of Local 34-627 (Kansas City, MO).

This year’s International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) Conference, held August 26-29 at the Sonesta Philadelphia Hotel, celebrated advocacy and diversity, and provided labor law education and important negotiating and contract administration ideas and information. Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA) pulled out all the stops to partner with The Philadelphia Orchestra musicians. Delegates and guests toured the Kimmel Center and attended a lovely mixer on a patio overlooking the center and the Academy of Music. They were also treated to a double-deck bus tour of some Philadelphia landmarks and historical sites, including the Liberty Bell and the Art Institute, where they were given a chance to run up its 72 steps and pose by the statue of Rocky Balboa.

The ICSOM Governing Board, with the assistance of Philadelphia Orchestra cellist Gloria dePasquale, scheduled a volunteer service the afternoon before the conference officially began. ICSOM delegates, officers, and members partnered with Philadelphia Orchestra musicians to provide music, greeters, and servers at Broad Street Ministry, which is right across the street from the Kimmel Center. Housed in a beautiful old sanctuary, with artwork hanging from the rafters, this organization supplies hundreds of Philadelphia’s homeless with meals, clothing, and other necessities. Musicians from Atlanta, Chicago Lyric, Dallas, Fort Worth, Hawaii, Kansas City, the Kennedy Center, Los Angeles, Minnesota, Nashville, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Utah orchestras performed and served during the dinner hour.

Wednesday morning, the conference began with stirring addresses by ICSOM Chair Bruce Ridge (North Carolina Symphony/Local 500) and ICSOM President Brian Rood (Kansas City Symphony/Local 34-627). Keynote speaker Dr. Jane Chu, the 11th and current chair of the National Endowment for the Arts, shared her history as the child of Chinese immigrant parents. Chu, who was born in Oklahoma, spoke about how music shaped her life and enabled her to honor different perspectives and ideas.

ICSOM volunteer musicians and Philadelphia Orchestra members performed and served at Broad Street Ministry, which serves Philadelphia’s homeless population.

Metropolitan Opera Orchestra trombonist Weston Sprott of Local 802 (New York City) spoke briefly about the importance of music education. He is featured in a new film, Some Kind of Spark. It documents the impact of Juilliard’s Music Advancement Program (MAP), which offers lessons to talented, inner-city kids. Media veteran Randy Whatley of Cypress Media Group returned for his third ICSOM Conference to discuss lessons learned during the past few years of lockouts and potential job actions.

Joe Conyers (The Philadelphia Orchestra assistant principal bass/Local 77) spoke about the formation of Project 440, an organization that trains young musicians to serve their communities through classical music. Allison Beck, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), spoke about changes at FMCS and negotiation and relation-building assistance. She served as mediator and FMCS advisor during both the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra negotiations and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s lockout in 2014.

ICSOM Counsel Susan Martin led her third informative session of Delegate Duel, as four orchestra groups, along with AFM staff and local officers, competed to show off their understanding of labor law. AFM President Ray Hair’s presentation followed an explanation of the newly ratified Integrated Media Agreement (IMA).

Delegates learned about a documentary film and survey that update a 1987 ICSOM performance anxiety survey. They heard updates on the AFM & Employers’ Pension Fund. Leaders of the Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA), Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM), Theater Musicians Association (TMA), and Recording Musicians Association (RMA) spoke to delegates. Delegates were given the opportunity to submit questions for a moderated session with AFM Symphonic Services Division staff.

(Above) ICSOM Governing Board (L to R): Senza Sordino Editor Peter de Boor (Local 161-710/Kennedy Center Opera Orchestra); Member-at-large (MAL) Matt Comerford (Local 10-208/Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra); Chair Bruce Ridge (Local 500/North Carolina Symphony); National Endowment for the Arts Chair Jane Chu; President Brian Rood (Local 34-627/Kansas City Symphony); Treasurer Michael Moore (Local 148-462/Atlanta Symphony Orchestra);
MAL Meredith Snow (Local 47/Los Angeles Philharmonic); MAL Jennifer Mondie (Local 161-710/National Symphony Orchestra); Secretary Laura Ross (Local 257/Nashville Symphony);
and MAL Paul Gunther, (Local 30-73/Minnesota Orchestra).

On the final day, attorneys Mel Schwarzwald and Joe Porcaro discussed bargaining presentations, information requests, and confidentiality agreements. Town meeting discussions included increased interest in finding solutions to protect musicians’ hearing from the excessive decibel levels that orchestras are dealing with as they perform more amplified pops and special concerts.

Delegates also dealt with bylaw changes and passed resolutions to honor outgoing ICSOM President Brian Rood, who stepped down at the end of the conference after serving 12 years as president, as well as Member-at-large and former ICSOM Electronic Media Chair Matt Comerford (Chicago Lyric Opera Orchestra/Local 10-208). They also acknowledged the contributions of former ICSOM webmaster Charles Noble (Oregon Symphony/Local 99), retiring governing board members Mary Plaine (Member-at-large, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra/Local 40-543), and Nancy Griffin (ICSOM Secretary, Seattle Symphony/Local 76-493). Delegates recognized conductors Robert Spano and Donald Runnicles, members of 148-462 (Atlanta, GA), for their support of musicians during last year’s Atlanta Symphony Orchestra lockout. Additional resolutions acknowledged OCSM’s 40th and TMA’s 20th anniversaries, and offered support for Hartford Symphony Orchestra musicians. Finally, resolutions thanked ICSOM Braumeister Robert Grossman (Philadelphia Orchestra/Local 77) for creating five different beers for the conference, and every member delegate signed on to urge Colorado Symphony musicians to remain in the AFM.

The 2016 ICSOM Conference will be held in Washington, DC.

Music Business, Organizing, Resources

The Best Defense Against “Right to Work”: Organize!

August 31, 2015 IM

by Todd Jelen, Negotiator, Organizer & Educator, AFM Symphonic Services Division

It has been my privilege to visit orchestras around the country to discuss so-called “right to work” legislation. This simple slogan does not explain the resulting destruction to the middle class and working people in states where “right to work” laws are enacted. When a state passes a “right to work” law, there is an immediate decrease in the average wage. This translates to about $6,000 less per year than the wages in free bargaining states. “Right to work” states also consistently report lower household incomes, less employer sponsored health insurance coverage, and weaker unemployment benefits, than states without “right to work” laws.

In addition to taking money out of our pockets, “right to work” laws undermine democracy in our workplaces. When we decide to form or join a union, we vote. To choose our representatives, we vote. For all of the union’s business, we vote. “Right to work” laws seek to weaken our collective will by purposely providing loopholes in the membership requirements that workers have negotiated with their employers—agreements that the Supreme Court has upheld in free bargaining states. Proponents of “right to work” legislation often cite contractual freedom as a reason to pass these laws, but this is ironic considering that they are actually stifling workers’ freedom to make agreements with their employers.

Without a union contract our workplace rights are at the whim of our employers, whereas we can personally oversee the maintenance and enforcement of our agreements, if we are unionized. Employers know this, and that is one of the reasons behind the current wave of “right to work” legislation. By dividing us into different categories, employers are attempting to weaken our will and effectiveness as organized workers. We must realize that there is nothing that says we have to opt out of union membership. We can and should refuse to be divided by these laws! If we see past the laws in our states and learn about the Federal protections offered to us, we realize that we have a larger toolbox than we thought we had. Too often, orchestras don’t embrace the tools they already have to manage their own contracts.

“Right to work” does not have to mean the destruction of our workplace rights, if we work to ensure that we are organized. You may be thinking, “this won’t work in my city or state,” but I assure you that it will. I have found models for organization that exist in places considered unfriendly to labor. As a result, these locals enjoy more activity, visibility, and greater membership density. Together we have been able to begin to change the culture and perception of the local towards greater respect and congeniality. If you would like to learn how you can organize your orchestra and make your local more relevant in the eyes of your musicians and management, please contact me. Together, we can turn the tide of “right to work” laws toward a brighter future for orchestra musicians!