CONVENTION UPDATE III: FOR TUESDAY JUNE 22nd - Day 2
CONVENTION UPDATE III: FOR TUESDAY JUNE 22nd - Day 2
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I. A BUSY DAY
The day began with a memorial service for those past officers, delegates,
staff and prominent musicians who passed away since the last convention.
It was beautifully accompanied by the Nevada Chamber Symphony.
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II. RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOLUTIONS - TUESDAY
From the MEASURES AND BENEFITS COMMITTEE:
-Recommendations 12, 15, 16 and 22 were passed
as amended after being found favorable by the committee.
From the FINANCE COMMITTEE:
-Recommendation #14 was passed after the committee’s favorable finding.
-Recommendation #8 was withdrawn. The intent of the recommendation
had already effectively been put in place.
-Recommendation #6 was referred back to committee after creating much
confusion.
-Resolution #17 - This was the log jam of the morning which was discussed
and debated for over 2 hours.
This resolution wanted to take the $750,000 plus made yearly from foreign
musician work permits from the general AFM fund (used to pay AFM costs),
and put the entire amount into the Music Performance Trust Fund. Most of
those opposed felt there were other ways to achieve the same thing without
driving the AFM into further financial trouble.
We warned earlier that this sounded like a method to siphon away funds and
weaken the AFM further, and that seemed to be the case, considering some
of those who spoke in favor of it.
The committee was unfavorable toward Resolution 17 and it was defeated
by the delegates.
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III. AFTER LUNCH
After lunch the DIVERSITY COMMITTEE presented the Diversity Awards and
the President’s Youth Awards.
1) The President’s Award was awarded to New Orleans Local AFM 174-496
2) The CHARLES WALTON DIVERSITY AWARD was given to Deacon John
3) The PRESIDENT’S YOUTH AWARD (under age 20) was given to
Tommy Lennon.
4) The PRESIDENT’S YOUTH AWARD (21-35 of age) was given to
Karl Schwonik.
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IV. EMERGENCY RESOLUTIONS
There were two emergency resolutions passed today:
1) In reference to the AFL-CIO, all international unions must have more diversity
in the delegates that are sent to their conventions. There must be at least one
person of color and/or woman as a delegate in each delegation.
The RESOLUTION PASSED WITHOUT DISSENT.
2) The LAW COMMITTEE needed more time to work their way through
Recommendation 1, which concerns fees and finances. An emergency
Resolution was passed to allow the Law Committee to present Rec. 1
on a day other than that listed in the agenda (Today).
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V. ELECTION NOMINATIONS
AFM PRESIDENT:
Ray Hair - - AFM Local 72-147 +
Thomas Lee - AFM Local 161-710 -
INTERNATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT
Joe Boettger - AFM Local 542
Harold Bradley - AFM Local 257 -
Bruce Fife - AFM Local 542
CANADIAN VICE-PRESIDENT
Linda Cara - AFM Local 149
Bill Skolnick - AFM Local 149 -
INTERNATIONAL SECRETARY-TREASURER
Leonard Dicosimo - AFM Local 4
Sam Folio - AFM Local 368 -
Quinten Solano - AFM Local 38-398
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Karen El-Chaar - AFM Local 45
John Cusick - AFM Local 161-710
Tino Gagliardi - AFM Local 802 +
John Head - AFM Local 148-462
Marty Hodapp - AFM Local 103
Billy Linneman - AFM Local 257 -
Bob McGrew - AFM Local 65-699 -
Gary Matts - AFM Local 10-208
Wayne Morris - AFM Local 145
Tina Morrison - AFM Local 105
Cortez Paige- AFM Local 625
Joseph Parente - AFM Local 77 -
David Pomeroy - AFM Local 257 +
Dan Cerveny - AFM Local 70-558
Vince Trombetta - AFM Local 47 +
Pete Vriesenga - AFM Local 20-623 -
- OUR PICKS
+ RMA Candidates
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VI. CONVENTION COMMENTS
Concerning the Preparation H comment:
Ignorance is bliss. Anyone that has ever done a commercial spot
should look at their pay stub. The leader is usually a person that
also happens to run a recording studio to meet the demands of
the EMPLOYERS that are signatories to the commercial agreement.
This is a tradition that was established to meet the need for a
central location much the same as the central copying house
serves the unique needs of the Broadway producer. The sideperson
is the player or music prep person. The EMPLOYER is either an
agency, ie. Sachy & Sachy or Entertainment Partners. et al. Has
everyone lost their minds or have the people making waves
never done a commercial spot?
As for those in attendance at the commercial negotiations,
you were presented with two handouts. One with a list of signatory
agencies and one a list of signatory advertisers. (clients) I do not
believe anyone on that list was present during an internal caucus.
And here is the bad news for anyone listening. Our ratifiers,
the people doing the work and filing the union contracts say
that the EMPLOYERS state that we have 3 to 5 years to save that
industry or there will be no more union commercial work. Those
working under that agreement take that seriously, the rest is noise.
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Movie royalties for musicians are a historical anomaly, originating
from contracts written around 1960. Producers agreed at that time to
cut musicians in on royalties because they could not afford to pay them
the wages up front that were being negotiated. This was long before
anyone could foresee international markets, or technology transfer
(theatrical to VHS or DVD, etc.). The biggest check a contract studio
concertmaster from that time ever got was 17K. See what happened
since? Nice “lifestyle”, if you can get it, right? But no one wants to
face the current reality, fed by the dispersion to non-union scoring
that began in the middle ’90s….. And don’t ignore the current
producer’s comment: “The royalties belong to the composer, not to the
second violinist sitting inside third stand.”
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According to this post there is an incredible amount of campaign
literature. (Especially Hair and Trombetta.)
Who paid for Vince Trombetta’s convention materials? I can understand that
the RMA probably paid for Ray Hair’s election materials but…Vince?
Inquiring minds want to know.
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We here at Local 47 know how committed Vince Trombetta is to unionism. It
was under his direction as VP that our Rehearsal Rooms were built
non-union. As President, Trombetta hired a non union general contractor and
the $600K remodel on the Auditorium was done virtually all non-union. This
caused quite a ruckus with some of the trades and it caused the general
contractor to change the openly non-union advertising on their own website!
Thanks Vince for showing such support for unionism! He thinks we should
give him a pat on the back for any money the membership of the Local might
have saved!
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UNTIL NEXT TIME,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47
Visit us at www.responsible47.com
June 23rd, 2010 at 8:24 am
Concerning the Preparation H Comment
First of all: It is interesting that the writer who responded to me decided not to put his or her name on the post. I guess that anonymity is valued on a blog but not at a negotiation caucus.
Secondly:anyone who has done commercial spots knows that the person’s name that appears as leader on your check is not someone on who is necessarily on ‘your’ side when you are negotiating a collective bargaining agreement.
For anyone listening, the list of NY Ratifiers are indeed employers and somehow they have some people convinced that it is up to the AFM to save the jingle business. We are not partners with them. We don’t share in their creative fees and we don’t make their business decisions. We are employees. And guess what folks, we cannot tell employers that they have to use more live strings for their spots, more bassoons, or any live musicians at all. And they will never promise in writing to do it. Why should they? We could lower scale to one dollar per session and they still would collect their creative fees and use synthesizers and drum loops if they choose to.
When you are making preparations to negotiate anything, you don’t invite the other side to your meeting. Ever bought a car? When you and your wife or husband need to discuss the details of needs and financing, and what you are going to say to the dealership, you don’t do it in front of f the salesman. You don’t invite your spouse to your meetings with your divorce lawyer. You don’t invite the Nederlanders to your Broadway meetings And you don’t invite jingle companies to your strategy meetings for the jingle negotiation.
Wake up my friends. President Lee has set us up for failure here.
David Finck
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:06 am
[And don’t ignore the current producer’s comment: “The royalties belong to the composer, not to the second violinist sitting inside third stand.”]
The royalties belong to EVERY union member who worked on a film that turns a profit. The “editor” conveniently forgets that royalties also go to the WGA, DGA, IATSE, etc. This one of the most outrageous pro-management statements every to appear on this rag sheet.
June 23rd, 2010 at 9:09 am
The cOMMITTEe’s choices? for AFM officers and IEB members are a recipe for disaster. Should those yo-yos prevail, there may no longer be an AFM.
June 23rd, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Along with the rest of your ignorance it’s Saatchi & Saatchi, not Sachy & Sachy. Do you even work in music?