January 29th, 2010 The Committee
I. THIRTY-SIX SHOW FOR MEETING, SIGNATURE RESTRICTIONS PASSES, APATHY REINS
II. BILLY MITCHELL HONORED
III. SELA UPDATE
IV. COMMENTS
V. EVENTS
===========================
I. THIRTY-SIX SHOW FOR MEETING, SIGNATURE RESTRICTIONS PASS, APATHY REINS
There were approx. thirty-six people (including board members) at Monday’s
Local 47 General Membership Meeting. Thanks to a bylaw amendment
written by former VP David Schubach, the president had to open an
executive board meeting on the spot and publically vote on the signature
collecting resolution, thus not wasting the time of those who took the
time to come down to the meeting.
Members spoke for and against Gary Lasley’s proposed resolution with a
two minute time limit. Some asked questions and voiced concerns that the
resolution was too broad and ill-defined, inviting future problems. Among
those who spoke about those problems was a board member.
Member Helen Crosby shared her research on Labor law and information
shared with her by the DOL, and how the proposed restrictions are
problematic and will cause action later.
In the end, as predicted, the board voted to adopt the resolution
and codify it into the bylaws and in the process alienate Rank and
FIle in yet another way. We’ve been in conversations with ways to
fight this resolution. When we know, you’ll hear about it.
Of the board in attendance:
Those who voted for FOR the resolution:
-Vice-President Acosta
-Paul Castillo
-Judy Chilnick
-Pam Gates
-Secretary/Treasurer Lashinsky
-Gary Lasley (The writer of the resolution)
-Lesa Terry
Those who voted against:
Roy D’Antonio
Bonnie Janofsky
Don Muggeridge
With the resolution delivered for benefit of the incumbents, the
meeting was called at 7:40PM
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January 22nd, 2010 The Committee
I. LOCAL 47 MEMBERSHIP MEETING THIS MONDAY, JANUARY 25th, 7PM
II. COMMENTS ABOUT AMIE MOORE
III. ERIC HOSLER RESPONDS
IV. FILM MUSIC: THE WORLD VIEW
V. COMMENTS
VI. EVENTS
===========================
I. LOCAL 47 MEMBERSHIP MEETING THIS MONDAY, JANUARY 25th, 7PM
IMPORTANT COMMENT FROM A MEMBER CONCERNING THIS MONDAY’S MEETING!
We thank the member for the corrections to our previous mailing.
Hello!
If there is not a quorum then under the new rules (this will be the first
application), an immediate Executive Session will be called….pro-tem
appointed if necessary to make a quorum, and after reasonable discussion
(see your Overture for the exact wording) the Executive Board must vote.
So it will NOT be the NEXT DAY that this resolution will be decided…it
will be in front of anyone who is present Monday night.
Union members are guaranteed the right to free speech AND
ASSEMBLY both inside and outside union meetings. Speech
protected under the LMRDA includes not only the right to verbally
support a members’ choice of candidates, but also the right to
criticize election procedures and decisions which the member
feels are in conflict with the democratic policies behind the
LMRDA.
Even common sense dictates that for those rank & file members
who so desire, becoming a candidate for office should be a
process made as open and accessible as possible; not a
process that is difficult and prohibitive, and obviously favoring
the incumbents.
The Resolution at issue must be defeated and if it is not it will be
formally appealed to the Department of Labor after the election.
This proposed bylaw change is certainly not a reasonable rule
or regulation to be imposed on the membership, in fact, it prohibits
rank and file participation AND give the incumbent administration
an unfair advantage. The Office of Labor Management Standards
that has regulatory oversight for union elections has in place
procedures for such a challenge/appeal. This proposed resolution
to be voted on at Local 47’s membership meeting Jan. 25th will
make it much more difficult for the vast majority of the
membership who are not regularly employed in larger groups to
be able to get the requisite 50 signatures to run for office at
Local 47.
Such a restriction imposes a significant burden on those members.
Voting against this bylaw change at the next membership meeting
is VERY important. Incumbents inherently have a huge advantage
anyway. We should not vote to make it even harder for regular
rank and file members to run for office! PLEASE attend the next
Local 47 meeting to vote against this bylaw change!
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January 15th, 2010 The Committee
DON’T FORGET THE JANUARY 25TH GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING!
I. FMA REPORT AND COMMENTS ON SELAS
II. TITLED OFFICER CONTINUES TO SEEK COMPETiTIVE EMPLOYMENT
III. WHERE IS AMIE MOORE?
IV. COMMENTS ABOUT THE THE RMA, AFM AND THE UPCOMING CONVENTION
V. COMMENTS
VI. EVENTS
Make plans now to attend the JANUARY 25th, 2010 LOCAL 47
general membership meeting! Help stop the ban on election
signature gathering on our property!
=================
I. FMA REPORT AND COMMENTS ON SELAS
Hello FMA-L.A. Members:
Happy New Year!
SELA update:
On November 19, 2009 our H&W Trustees met to discuss the
future of the SELA contract. As you know, the three Management
Trustees are extremely concerned about their liability regarding
the four (documented) instances of possible fraud committed
in 2009.
——————————-
Local #47 Vice President John Acosta gives us the following
report from the Nov 19 meeting:
The Trustees deferred the decision due to what they explained
was “a lengthy set of new rules & regulations that Lewis Levy
had prepared”. From what I have been told they will be meeting
soon after the holiday to make a final decision.
I am writing my own letter to them, urging them to take
action, and will let you know when that goes out.
Best,
John Acosta
Vice-President
Professional Musicians Local 47
Tel 323-993-3173 Fax 323-461-3090
——————————-
Lisa Haley again:
I just heard back from my own Tax CPA, who outlined for
me the true cost of incorporating in California. The cost to
Members to incorporate (even at the lowest rate,) or use a
Payroll service is more than most of our Members can
possibly afford in this economy - (unless one was already
making enough money that one needed an extra $2000
per year tax write-off.) The idea that any employer is going
to come up with more money in order for us to use one of
the above alternatives is extremely unrealistic in this
economy.
We truly need our SELA back.
Several members have made the following statements, which
we just submitted to John Acosta, Lewis Levy and Leslie
Lashinsky:
1.) In other Unions where there is Federal fraud, the perpetrators
are punished; no system is shut down to penalize the rest of the
membership. Why is this circumstance different? Because the
H&W Management Trustees are trying to avoid being scrutinized
by Federal authorities… at our expense.
2.) If the H&W Management Trustees have committed negligence
which resulted in a lack of oversight, encouraging fraud; Then those
Trustees fully deserve to come under the scrutiny of the IRS and DOL,
rather than penalizing those law-abiding Members who are currently
unable to receive their H&W and Pension contributions.
3.) When the SELA is reinstated, every band leader in good standing
deserves to have their H&W and Pension contributions retroactively
reinstated. After all, they are fully documented. This “hiatus” of our
SELA should never have happened in the first place.
4.) When the minimum contribution amount was $600, the “rollover”
threshold was also $600. Now that the minimum contribution amount
is $900, the rollover should also raise to $900, and it should be
retroactive to Oct 1, 2009. Why should hard-working Members lose
up to $300 apiece in this economy?
5.) Members are extremely unhappy with PacFed and its negligent
practices and we should look for a new administrator.
Jan 25 General Meeting:
We have requested a “Report on the status of our SELA” on the
Agenda. It is important that we all attend!
FMA Members, please consider emailing our Executive Board if
you would like to see SELA discussed:
pres3@promusic47.org
leslie.Lashinsky@promusic47.org
vp@promusic47.org;
secretary@promusic47.org
judychilnick@sbcglobal.net
gumbah@sbcglobal.net
pamgates@aol.com
GHuckins@aol.com
BRJanofsky@sbcglobal.net
gary@arcobass.com
lesaterry@earthlink.net
pcklar@earthlink.net
dmugger@aol.com
Regards,
Lisa Haley
President, FMA-L.A.
==========================
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January 8th, 2010 The Committee
I. WE NEED YOU AT THE JANUARY 25, 2010 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING!
II. THE SHIV IS IN
III. LA OPERA GET THE CALL
IV. COMMENTS
V. EVENTS
=================
I. LOCAL BOARD TRIES TO POTENTIALLY DISENFRANCHISE MEMBERSHIP:
WE NEED YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING JANUARY 25!
At the last general membership meeting, there was a resolution
presented that would forbid the collection of signatures on nominating
petitions to run for Local 47 elected positions anywhere on the Local 47
property. The membership sensed there was something fishy about this
resolution and turned it back to committee.
PREVIOUS PRACTICE
The previous practice that has established itself over the years is:
You cannot collect signatures in the Local’s main building or the
rehearsals rooms, but the parking lot is fair game.
This is the most logical and fair system and believe THESE
are the terms that should be placed into the bylaws.
THE LAW
The law (see the Department of Labor-LMRDA) attempts to make
elections a fair playing field for ALL of the MEMBERS i.e. “rank and
file” who seek to participate in their union governance. While there
are laws regarding the use of union facilities by candidates, our
bylaws are not violative of the LMRDA or any other administrative
regulation. The mere presence of a RANK and FILE member on the
property to collect petition signatures DOES NOT and has not,
“under Federal Law”, meant that a member should be prohibited
from collecting signatures for election on Local 47 property. Indeed
this has been the past practice at our local.
Ask yourselves why this resolution has been put forward?
OUR PROPERTY
Our Local 47 property, is a unique property. Unlike and differentiated
from the carpenters union, the electricians union, or the plumbers
union…WE MEET TO WORK…on Vine Street!
The Local 47 facilities that WE PAY FOR contain our Rehearsal
Studios, and the Auditorium and are used for PROFESSIONAL
purposes.
As long as it is the policy of the Federal oversite agencies that
all parties are TREATED EQUALLY…it is absolutely fair that the
“rank and file” can collect signatures on Union property. Any
changes to the bylaws should make it easier to participate in
the governance of our Local, not harder. This resolution is an
attempt to restrict participation and disenfranchise members.
FAXING SIGNATURES
While electronic media is now being used in business and law,
including being able to sign your name, why is it we cannot use
fax signatures for petitions? We have heard the union’s attorney
use the argument that we have to do things a certain way because
much of the membership live a great distance from the local. Isn’t
that a good reason for candidates to be able to accept fax signatures
on their qualifying petitions?
Our incumbent elected officials have access to large groups of
musicians, e.g. backstage access to Los Angeles Philharmonic;
Hollywood Bowl Orchestra; all soundstages and theaters, etc. It is
not an even playing field now when it comes to getting signatures.
Not to allow the membership to “meet and greet” potential signatory
supporters where they can be found is a blatant attempt to restrict
participation and that is not the intent of Federal law, nor the true
ideals of unionism.
Protect your Local 47 colleagues rights! WE NEED YOU at the
meeting on January 25th, 7pm at the Local to stop the shutting
out of the membership.
If there is no quorum at the meeting on the 25th the board will
decide for all of us at their board meeting the next day.
One guess as to what they will decide.
When it comes to elections, members deserve a level playing
field with the present power structure.
Don’t let them tilt the field. Show up and be counted.
THE COMMITTEE
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