Tag Archives: symphonic

by Rochelle Skolnick, AFM Symphonic Services Division Director

My first year as Director of the Symphonic Services Division (SSD) has been jam-packed with satisfying work—the kind of work that engages the mind and nourishes the soul every single day. Together with the rest of the fabulous staff of SSD, I spend every day providing support to thousands of musicians who make their living performing in US and Canadian symphony orchestras and to the local unions of which those musicians are an integral part.

I’ve especially treasured the opportunities I’ve had over the past year to get out of the office and visit with musicians and others who care about them and the future of symphony orchestras. I’ve spent time in 21 cities and attended 11 different conferences, speaking or presenting in connection with all but one of those. With the AFM conference season at a pause until the start of 2018, this is a moment to reflect on those conferences and some of the trends in symphonic work and labor relations they brought to the fore.

It does not require extraordinary powers of analysis to conclude that this year’s leading symphonic thought trend has been diversity and inclusion. It was, in some form or another, a focal point of all three symphonic player conferences Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA), Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM), and International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) and the annual League of American Orchestras (LAO) conference. Some may be tempted to write off this push as merely a sop to political correctness or a cynical attempt on the part of orchestra managers to access previously untapped funding. I think that would be a mistake.

Symphony orchestras have long struggled with “relevance”: finding ways to establish their value when they are often perceived as museums presenting musical relics to an aging and ever-diminishing elite. The industry has cycled through a number of ventures aimed at counteracting this misperception. Among other things, orchestras have changed repertoire to include more of whatever is deemed popular at the moment; taken performances to venues beyond the traditional concert hall (think simulcasts and community engagement services); and incorporated visual effects (think Jumbotron images and films projected with live accompaniment).

While these efforts have perhaps moved the needle on public perception, genuine relevance isn’t about pandering to the lowest common denominator or luring unsuspecting patrons into the concert hall through the latest marketing scheme.

For orchestras to have genuine relevance to their communities, each must bring authenticity to the task, finding ways to connect with both traditional audiences and individuals who have yet to experience the wonder of the symphony orchestra. Each of our orchestras is situated within a geographic community that has its own unique history, demographics, and needs for enrichment of the soul. A one-size-fits-all plan to connect with community will only go so far, given the unique attributes of the communities we serve. Achieving genuine relevance to a given community is much harder and more complicated work.

But this is where I take a measure of hope from the ongoing focus on diversity and inclusion. I believe the most important building blocks for orchestras to attain genuine relevance are deep knowledge of community, deep knowledge of the art form, and overflowing passion for the art that compels us to share it with anyone who will pause to listen. I also believe that the voices of orchestra musicians must be part of the conversation about establishing genuine relevance.

Orchestra musicians (and often managers and board members) certainly know our art form and (cynicism aside) we share a passion for that art. In many respects, we know our communities well. But I believe we can and must do better on that score. Part of doing so, in my mind, involves finding ways for our symphonic institutions, both onstage and off, to more closely reflect the communities they serve. If we succeed in that venture, I believe we will also place our institutions in a far better position to actually connect with their communities in ways that will nurture and sustain both community and orchestra.

In remarks I made at the opening of the LAO’s diversity forum in June, I observed that unionized workplaces are one of the few segments of our society where workers of every description are guaranteed equal pay for equal work. I also noted that closing the gender gap in symphony orchestras is directly traceable to the institution of screened auditions, which were a product of collective bargaining. But we still have much work to do.

The number of women concertmasters, like this month’s cover artist, Nurit Bar-Josef, still trails the ratio of women to men in orchestras. And the racial makeup of our orchestras looks little like our increasingly diverse society. The union movement has always been a social justice movement. We, as union musicians, can join together in support of diversity and inclusion in our symphonic workplaces. I believe that doing so is not only the right thing to do—it is integral to the vitality of our art and our symphonic institutions.

Officer Columns, Secretary-Treasurer

All Things Symphonic!

July 10, 2017 Jay Blumenthal

This issue of the International Musician focuses on the symphonic field. Coming from the symphonic world myself, it is always a special issue for me. Symphonic musicians typically perform under collectively bargained local agreements. This has resulted in a field that has excellent union density due to union security clauses found in AFM symphonic contracts.

While some states have passed “right to work” legislation, most symphonic musicians understand the importance of an AFM contract and remain loyal, strong, and supportive union members. The important contractual gains achieved over many decades, are a testament to musician solidarity. Weathering the previous onslaught of bankruptcies, lockouts, and occasional strikes was made possible by hardworking teams of symphonic musicians represented by their local unions and elected orchestra/negotiating committees, with aid and support from symphonic player conferences and the Federation.

While symphonic musicians still face challenging contract negotiations, it appears we have entered a period of relative tranquility. At the time of this writing, there are no ongoing strikes, lockouts, or pending bankruptcies. This is a moment that may allow for some contract rehabilitation for those musicians who were forced to make concessions due to the “great recession.”

When requested by a local officer (after consultation with the orchestra committee), the Federation will dispatch a Federation negotiator to lead and/or assist with orchestra contract negotiations. Additionally, the Federation provides an annual negotiating orchestra workshop just prior to the ROPA Conference for orchestra negotiating committees and local officers. For those new to collective bargaining or just needing a refresher, this workshop is for you. Some local officers attend annually and always leave the workshop saying they learned something new.

The Federation also shares the cost with the local for financial analysis of the orchestra with whom the local will be negotiating. Contact the AFM Symphonic Services Division for details.

Integrated Media Agreement

Our national Integrated Media Agreement (IMA) covering live symphonic media work will soon, once again, be renegotiated. (The IMA does not cover work performed in the recording studio, which is covered by SRLA). The multi-employer representative for a growing number of orchestras, Employers’ Media Association (EMA), will be across the table from the Federation. Previous negotiations have been long and arduous but hope springs eternal.

The crucial recurring battle tends to be over our strong belief that there is added value associated with recorded product and that it is necessary and appropriate to compensate musicians based on this added value. We will not yield in our belief that recorded music must be compensated separately and apart from our live performance wage. The methods of product distribution may have changed (decreased physical product and increased digital steaming), but the additional stress of recording and creating a product that lives on in perpetuity has not changed. It requires appropriate additional compensation for musicians. Musicians have fought for and defended this basic tenet for decades and we will continue to do so.

I hope you enjoy this special symphonic issue of the IM.

Now Available: AFM 2016 Annual Report

The 2016 AFM Annual Report is now available on the AFM website. After you log in, click on the Documents Library tab. Then click on the Financial Documents and Annual Report folder. Now click on the 2016 Annual Report PDF. This is a comprehensive report from the AFM officers, legal counsel, auditors, directors, some AFM staff members, and the editor of the International Musician. It also contains the 2016 year-end audit. This annual report is intended to be a retrospective, rather than forward-looking document. Local officers wishing to receive the print version should request a copy from AFM Assistant Secretary Jonathan Ferrone
(jferrone@afm.org).

Freedom of Information … Act! Information Locals Are Entitled

July 1, 2016 IM

by Todd Jelen, Negotiator, AFM Symphonic Services Division

Most seasoned orchestra committee members and local officers know that they are entitled to information from their orchestra during negotiations. Did you also know that the local is also entitled to information to help administer the contract, when it is not in negotiations?

Even if your contract doesn’t have specific language regarding this, your local is entitled to request any information necessary and relevant to contract administration and bargaining. Having this information can mean the difference between competently representing musicians and flying blind in a storm of half-truths.

Many locals do not receive the basic payroll information they’re entitled to. Locals often receive checks for work dues with no explanation where they were deducted from, the number of services played, rate of pay, health and welfare and pension payments made, doubling, cartage, and numerous other compensation categories that are negotiated in our collective bargaining agreements. Without this detailed information, locals cannot accurately represent musicians on occasions when doubling might accidentally not be paid, or if a section musician wasn’t compensated properly when they filled in for a sick or absent principal.

Another concerning trend is the lack of transparency when documenting the discipline and dismissal of musicians. The local needs this information to accurately assess whether or not the discipline is valid before the decision to file a grievance is made, as well as during the grievance process. This information is crucial to ascertain if the punishment was fair, if timelines were followed, or if any evidence exists that would help exonerate the musician.

Quite often, when locals request information outside of negotiations they encounter management pushback. They commonly hear: “If there is a problem, musicians can ask us about it and we will fix it for them” or “this is a private matter between the orchestra and its musicians.” These statements, whether intentionally nefarious or not, violate the very tenets of unionism.

The union is the sole representative of musicians and has a duty to represent all musicians regardless of membership status, or status in the orchestra. Refusing to furnish information to maintain the contract is a violation of the National Labor Relations Act. Without this information, our locals cannot properly investigate potential problems and are at risk of not fulfilling their duty of fair representation.

Sometimes musicians will inadvertently enable management by requesting information be withheld from the local because they feel embarrassed or they think that they can handle issues on their own. Musicians that help to conceal information are robbing themselves of union protection. This also increases the chance that other musicians will have the same problem. If all musicians know about all issues in the workplace, recurring infractions are less likely.

Ask your local secretary what information your orchestra provides with regard to the maintenance of your contract. If your local receives anything less than what I described in this article, please work together with your local to contact me and we’ll discuss a plan of action. Only when we have the information we need and are entitled to receive, can we successfully represent the needs of our musicians in the workplace.