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

==========================

II. BILLY MITCHELL HONORED

In February 2010 KCET-TV and Union Bank will honor
Billy Mitchell as a local hero of the African American
community for his dedication and commitment to
enrich the lives of others.

http://www.kcet.com/local/community

As part of KCET’s ongoing commitment to diversity,
the station created annual Local Hero Awards in celebration
of national commemorative heritage months.

This initiative recognizes local heroes — activists,
educators, community leaders and visionaries —
the ones doing the critical work that many times
goes unrecognized. Over the past decade, KCET
has had the opportunity to showcase the remarkable
stories of over one-hundred and thirty local heroes.

www.sappa.net
sappaprograms@gmail.com
626-574-5040

BRAVO BILLY! WE’RE PROUD OF YOU!

The COMMITTEE

==========================

III. SELA UPDATE

FMA-LA Newsletter Jan 25, 2010
Lisa Haley
President, FMA-L.A.

Dear Colleagues:

Here is an important update on our SELA.

Today I spoke with PacFed Administrator Ann Elkin. Ann has
been with PacFed 25 years. Today I learned a lot about the
means by which our SELA problems are being resolved with
the H&W Trustees.

I am afraid I owe Ann an apology, as do any of us who have
been less than kind in our communication with her regarding
the slowness of SELA resolution.

It’s not her fault.

Facts about our H&W Fund from Ann:

- PacFed employees are not the Trustees; PacFed only Administers
the H&W Fund. Ann and Rocio make no decisions at all.
(I’m sure we can all agree that Ann and Rocio work very hard to
answer our H&W questions, and keep our benefits running smoothly.)

- Our H&W Management Trustees are volunteers, they work as Execs
at Disney, Entertainment Partners, etc. They are not paid - they
administer our Fund as a community service. Gary Hughes is one of
the Management side trustees.

- Our H&W Local #47 Trustees are also volunteers: Vince Trombetta,
Hal Espinosa and Jay Rosen.

- No Union allows their membership to contact Trustees directly. They
can’t speak to members individually; Their statements are not official
until they meet together to make decisions.

-PacFed audits many different kinds of Union agreements, including
but not limited to Local #47 agreements.

- There is a process by which to contact the Trustees. Contact them
through a written letter sent to:

- Board of Trustees, Prof Musicians Local #47 Employers Health and Welfare
c/o PacFed Benefit Administrators
1000 N. Central Ave, Suite 400
Glendale, CA 91202

Before doing so, please be advised that all of the FMA-LA emails concerning
SELA have been forwarded to both PacFed and our Local #47 Officers.
Attorney Lewis Levy has also presented to the Trustees a long list of security
proposals, including those made by members.

SELA Update:

- GOOD NEWS: Trustees have re-drafted the SELA document, it is under review.
- They have made no decision yet; their next scheduled meeting is end of Feb.

Regarding bringing up this issue at the General Meeting tonight:
Secretary Leslie Lashinsky writes today:

“Dear Lisa,

I have heard from Counsel that there is not much to report at present:
the management trustees still have to meet with their co-counsel to
determine what management’s position is regarding SELA; the full
Board of Trustees will not be taking the issue up until their next scheduled
meeting towards the end of February. Your concerns may be voiced in
old or new business tonight. SELA is now on our Executive Board meeting
agenda for tomorrow (Counsel available by phone only).”

Leslie Lashinsky

Lisa again:

I am not making excuses for the climate which resulted in the instances
of SELA violation. However, now we know how the process works, and
who the players are. I will hopefully speak with the EB tomorrow, but it
appears the Trustee meetings are moving slowly towards a hopefully
favorable decision for us all.

I am sick with a bad cold and won’t be at the GM tonight; please don’t
let that stop you!

Fraternally,
Lisa Haley
President, FMA-L.A.

[EDITOR'S COMMENT: So, those who control whether you may ONE DAY
be able to use a SELA aren't meeting till the end of February. How many
times have they met since the rug was pulled out from under our
Rank and File Freelance bretheren last September(almost 4 months ago)?
If this were concerning a problem for the RMA you'd probably have
midnight meetings to resolve the problem in record time. Combined with
last Monday's resolution making it harder to collect signatures and run
for office at our Local, this is a banner week for blows to the rank and
file. Knowing who the Local 47 H&W Trustees are: Local 47 President
Vince Trombetta; Former Local 47 President and famous RMA yes-man
Hal Espinosa; and RMA uppercrust Jay Rosen; should tell you all you need
to know about why the matter doesn't seem to warrant quicker action.]

==========================

IV. COMMENTS

The comments below and elsewhere in this mailing represent the
typically uncensored views of the readers and not necessarily those
of the COMMITTEE. In the faith that freedom of expression allows
for the birth and ascendancy of the most beneficial ideas, all sentiments
expressed are welcome, subject to the bounds of good taste and
decorum. If you disagree with an opinion expressed by any contributor,
we encourage you to rebut it here.

————————————

Re: Trombetta teaching,
Trobbetta has every right to teach but when you take one day off
a week when you are the President of Local 47 to do that you are
double dipping. Why can’t he teach on Saturday and give us all the
comfort fo knowing that the $80 + K a year we spend o him is at
least worth him showing up 5 days a week. What ever that is worth…
come on. Just the basics would be good.

[EDITOR'S COMMENT: Unless we're mistaken, President Trombetta
makes $90,000 plus benefits per year.]

————————————

small questions recently popped into mind:
should a composer become a Teamster member, might
he not have his legs broken when he scores for
a few days in Seattle, or Sydney, or Singapore ?
and how about in London, with fresh parts from whatshername’s
London office on the stands?
do copyists ever get special payments for music recorded “dark” ?
and those orchestrators….one composer took six or seven of ‘em
to London. do they do that for cash ?

————————————

To the editor,

I’m very glad to be party to what appears to me an honest
and sincerely impolite but civilzed debate about one of the
most critical decisions that needs to be made about
intellectual property rights.

Here then, a complicated set of variables needs to be
identified, studied, discussed and prioritized. It is
interesting to note for instance that participating in
the erosion of intellectual property rights for musicians
could be expected to become a precedent for the rights
of writers and inventors and scientists etc. So setting
aside music, do we believe in intellectual property or not?

I’m of the school that believes that we have rights as
Americans guaranteed by the Constitution that shouldn’t
be given away to balance the lack of such rights in
other countries.

And that organized labor, unified by a common resolve to
protect these basic rights, has been instrumental in
holding exploitation at bay. And that Buy Outs enable
the exploiters. And that our AFM President is the VERY
LASY ONE who should disagree.

Eric Hosler

[Mr. Hosler -

So now the Constitution supposedly guarantees RMA special
payments? That appears to be the ridiculous picture you're
trying to paint as you wrap yourself in the flag and try to
tie the Constitution to your defense of special payments.
It's a cheap attempt to make what amounts to a money-grab
to appear patriotic, and is especially ironic given how
UN-PATRIOTIC systems are that are run by the wealthy, for
the benefit of the wealthy. Sound familiar?

Perhaps you had better speak to a real lawyer. Musicians
have NO intellectual property rights - those belong to the
copyright owners exclusively. What the RMA elitists and you
are desperately trying to justify and defend are CONTRACTUAL
rights to special payments via your AFM contracts - contracts
which now have become completely out of step with the rest of
the world and have cost AFM members huge amounts of money as
the AFM has refused to effectively compete in the world
marketplace for score recording.

Lots of unions offer buyouts, so your idea that offering a
buyout is "exploitation" is a myth. And as far as "organized
labor unified by a common resolve to protect these basic rights,"
we need look no further than the LOCAL 47 EXECUTIVE BOARD who
COMPLETELY DISREGARDED any unification or resolve to support
unionism or union labor by knowingly choosing NON-UNION labor
for their $500,000+ renovation project because THE WORKERS
WOULD WORK FOR CHEAP.

Sorry, Eric, but you're living in a fantasy world based on
faulty legal assumptions and the delusion that organized labor
is somehow unified behind the RMA's 1970s-era policies of trying
to force businesses to pay special payments. Wake up, Eric.
Musicians have no intellectual property rights unless they
own copyright, and lots of U.S. labor unions offer buyouts
because they realize that good union work with excellent union
benefits under a buyout model is not necessarily exploitation.

THE COMMITTEE

P.S. - How many of YOUR friends have lost their homes
because work has disappeared to all corners of the globe?]

————————————

As regarding the campaign for Paul Hodes, I think it’s just
appropriate for everyone to know that our members our
free to spend their own money on whatever issues they
care to.. as long as no members’ funds are not being used.
(I’d love to audit those books of the International…. ha ha..)
I just resent the idea of them selling our email addresses
for a campaign to elect a partisan politician. I haven’t seen
them soliciting funds for a Republican Senate candidate
from Arkansas, Gilbert Baker, who is a musician and former
percussion instructor from U of A. Just be aware of what
Congressman Hodes has stated in the past and make your
decisions based on the record and not what Tom Lee will
serve the union better.

His opinion may be in line with Mr Lee’s but not with a
large majority of Americans.

Mr Lee has many more important issues for musicians
that don’t involve electing his pet members to the Senate.
Thanks for indulging just one of the diverse opinions of
the membership.

thanks..

name withheld by request

=========================

V. CONCERTS AND EVENTS

———————————-

1/29/10

BERN at SPAZIO
on Friday, January 29 at 9:00pm.

Event: BERN at SPAZIO on a FRIDAY (new club for us)
“Call the babysitters NOW! (A RARE Friday night performance!)”
What: Performance
Start Time: Friday, January 29 at 9:00pm
End Time: Saturday, January 30 at 12:00am
Where: Spazio
14755 Ventura Boulevard
Sherman Oaks, CA

———————————-

1/30/10

CULVER CITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
47th Season, 10 Years in Culver City

We continue our 47th Season with an unique concert on Saturday,
January 30, 2010, 8P.M., at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium,
4117 Overland Avenue, Culver City; at the corner of Culver
Boulevard and Overland Avenue. Free parking is available.

PROGRAM:

Villa-Lobos (Brasil): Bachianas Brasileiras, No. 1 (1932),
[Arranged for String Orchestra (2009)-Matthew Hetz (U.S.)
(Premiere Performance)]

Charles Fernandez (U.S.): Elegy for Oboe and Strings (1998),
Linda Margeridge-Oboe

Copland (U.S.): 3 Latin American Sketches (1972), Orchestra
Revueltas (Mexico): Homenaje a Federico Garcia Lorca (1936), Orchestra

Barber (U.S.): Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (1940),
Stirling Trent-Violin

Frank Fetta - Conductor

Some of these works are seldom performed, offering you the
rare opportunity to stretch your ears to sounds of the Americas.
This is a program of 20th Century music which is definitely on the
lyrical side.

The Villa-Lobos and Barber works are quite lyrical.
The Copland work contains the liveliness and openness of sound
we expect from him, mixed Mexican and Latin spices.

Charles Fernandez’ work is a lyrical commemoration for his father.

The Revueltas has Mexican and Aztec musical shadows and images,
in his deeply felt homage to a murdered Spanish poet.

There is no admission charge for this concert. However, these
concerts are not free to present. Your financial support for the
orchestra will make these concerts possible.

The Culver City Symphony Orchestra
Presented by:
The Westchester Symphony Society, Inc.
P. O. Box 4846
Culver City, CA 90231
www.culvercitysymphony.org

Join our mialing list, to receive fliers in the mail, or to contact
us via e-mail: info@culvercitysymphony.org
ph. 310-717-5500

———————————-

2/2/10

CHRISTIAN HOWES CLINIC WORKSHOP, FEBRUARY 2, 2010
We the String Project Los Angeles are excited to announce that
Christian Howes is returning to SPLA on Tuesday, February 2nd
to present a clinic/workshop.

Chris is without question one of the greatest violinists in the
world today. The workshop is for intermediate and advanced
string players, but even beginners and those with no
improvisational experience are encouraged to attend.

Private lesson slots are also available before the workshop.

For more information about Chris Howes, click HERE.
Reserve your spot today at www.stringprojectla.com.

String Project Los Angeles
12804 W Washington Blvd.
Los Angeles, California 90066
310 385 0227

———————————-

2/3/10

THE HELLEDIE/MOORE DUO

Wednesday February 3, 2010 at 12:10-12:40 pm
at the Glendale Noon Concerts.

France Moore - violin
Hanne Helledie - piano

They will perform original compositions for violin &
piano by Hanne Helledie.

World Music meets Classical and Jazz.

FREE ADMISSION GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS
Every FIRST & THIRD Wednesday at 12:10- 12:40 pm

Artist website:
http://www.reverbnation.com/thehellediemooreduo

————–

RELAX DURING YOUR LUNCH HOUR WITH LIVE MUSIC
Light lunch created by ANGELA’S BISTRO available for $6.
LOCATION: The Chapel at FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF GLENDALE
209 N. Louise St. (at Wilson)
Glendale CA 91206
818 242 2113

Map & venue info http://www.fbcglendale.net
More info email teena.frazier@fbcglendale.net

*****************************************

UPCOMING CONCERTS in the same series:

(every FIRST & THIRD WEDNESDAY at 12:10-12:40 pm

FEBRUARY 17, 2010
Chamber music by composer BEVAN MANSON
Catherine Del Russo - oboe & English horn
Bevan Manson - piano

MARCH 3, 2010
Solo works for violin
HIROMI IGARASHI-WARREN - violin

MARCH 17, 2010
Singer-songwriter
LINDSAY TOMASIC
http://www.lindsaytomasic.com

APRIL 7, 2010
FIATO String Quartet

Carrie Kennedy - violin
Ina Veli - violin
Charles Hebenstreit - viola
Ryan Sweeney - violoncello

APRIL 21, 2010
SUEZENNE FORDHAM CHAMBER JAZZ LA
http://www.suezennefordhamchamberjazz.blogspot.com

CONCERT UPDATES:
http://www.glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

—————————–

2/3/10

Canoga Park Bowl and the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra present

Concerts at the Bowl
Wednesday Evenings at 8:15 pm
In the Royal Room
Admission Free
20122 Vanowen St., Winnetka, CA
Persons under 21 years of age not admitted.

February 3rd
Jennifer Bliman, French Horn

February 10th
Instrumental Soloist (tba)

February 17th
The Screaming Clams
Songwriters’ Forum

February 24th
Blues at the Bowl
With Dave Reo, Jimi Dee & Friends

——————————–

2/18/10

here’s an upcoming event that I thought folks on
this list might be interested in… this is from a video/film
email listing and so that’s who I assume this is geared towards,
but if run away film/tv/game sessions is on your mind…
then it’s all the same stuff in the end. I would hope that
musicians and affiliates would try to attend and have their voices heard too.

KEEPING PRODUCTION IN CALIFORNIA:
Building an Influential Coalition To Save and Create Jobs
and Business Now.

4:00 PM-5:30 PM:
Main Theater (free to attend)
Createasphere/EXPLORE:
Entertainment Technology Exposition
FEBRUARY 18, 2010 | Universal Hilton | Universal City, CA

California’s film production and post-production industries
face a life-threatening assault —not just from a beleaguered
economy but from U.S. states and global locations like Canada,
the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Hungary, and many others.

For over 15 years, generous tax incentives (cash and credits),
affordable locations, and an expanding global workforce have
been eroding the careers of the incomparable and ready below-
the-line talent in the film capital of the world and impacting the
businesses that support production and post. Engage in this
important conversation to see what has and (has not) been
done by California lawmakers to support the industry; and find
out what needs to done to shore up the business in California
for the 21st Century.

Key players and participants in one of the most important
industries in the state will be on hand. Panelists include local
and state government officials, producers, studio staff and
crew. Sponsored by the 9,000 member Facebook community
and online portal, shootmoviesincalifornia.com,
founded by cinematographer Ed Gutentag.

Createasphere/EXPLORE:
Entertainment Technology Exposition
FEBRUARY 18, 2010 | Universal Hilton | Universal City, CA

http://www.createasphere.com/february/feb_panels.html#production

(you must register for the Feb 18th event to attend, registration
is currently free, but will cost $125 the door if you are not
registered in advance…no registrations the day of)

==================

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47
Visit us at www.responsible47.com

This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 5:07 pm and is filed under Committee Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.