CONVENTION UPDATE V: FOR THURSDAY, JUNE 24th - Day 4

CONVENTION WRAPS UP
(You’ll find election finals at the bottom of this update.)

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I. THE RECOMMENDATION I FARCE

Yesterday, we told you about the joint Law and Finance Committee
Substitute Resolution I (The finance package)

There was endless debate with many, many delegates protesting that
their locals simply could not afford it, NO WAY, NO HOW. They also
said cuts should be made rather than fee hikes.

A deal was struck on an alternate Joint Financial Package that was
presented this morning.

NOT A WORD WAS CHANGED from the previous days package except
the terms of the 2% fee on special payments. All the other fees and costs
and charges remained, exactly as it was yesterday, EXACTLY.

On the RMA 2%, it was removed and it is going to be under the direct
control of the IEB (The RMA IEB now) and a four person committee of
those who work in the area (RMAers). This is described in Article 8; section
6 of the AFM bylaws. Also, if we heard correctly, those who qualify to vote
on contracts would have to ok any fee. In other words, The foxes guarding
the hen house. Much like BP doing their own safety checks.
Anyone making under $2,500 in special payments will not be charged.

So the only, the single difference is that the RMA got exactly what it wanted,
and most of the folks who yesterday said NO WAY, WE CAN’T PAY, today said,
“fine”.

It took less that 16 hours for the small locals to wake up to having been
successfully played as suckers by the RMA for the recording members benefit.
And let’s see if the new RMA IEB will ok any fees.

IT PASSED

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II. HAIR SMOKE AND MIRRORS, WITHOUT MUCH SMOKE

The next specious argument was shamefully transparent.
Incoming AFM President Ray Hair described as uncollected
revenue: $700,000 in 2008 and $700,000 in 2009 that was
lost because of the split in the federation over the 2% fee on
special payments.

He didn’t say that “revenue” was money that the RMAer’s owed
according to the very 2% fee he said caused the rift.

Money the RMAers refused to pay.

That money would never have existed as revenue to begin with
if not for the 2% fee. The argument was a total, bald-faced fraud.

Unfortunately, none of the delegates present had the cajones to
get up and call him on his obvious intellectual dishonesty.

RIFT FAULT

He intimated again and again that this rift was the AFM’S fault,
when all the attacks had came FROM the RMA to the AFM.
The RMA has been the one wasting our dues money by forcing
the Federation to defend us all against the recording musicians
attacks and not paying the fees they used as their excuse
FOR the attacks.

Yet, Ray will pretend that HE was able to heal the rift, when HE
and his people were the authors and finishers OF THE RIFT.

Also, we suspect that now that the RMA runs the show, that
1.4 million of unpaid RMA fees will be paid, and Hair and Company
will take total credit for the “INCREASE IN INCOME” They have
created.

A totally hypocritical, unethical and dishonest farce to be sure,
but Hair will act as pure as the driven snow and those who don’t
know any better will buy it, while his RMA crew will know it is all lies
but push it anyway, because it’s what they do.

These are the people who run our federation now and the ones
some of the small locals were fooled into supporting.

Hair and company created the conflict, blamed it one someone else,
then will take credit for “Solving it” when all they’ll do is to stop
what they started.

Let the shearing begin.

You certainly won’t find any of this info on the Observer.

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III. THE LAST RESOLUTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

from the FINANCE COMMITTEE

-RECOMMENDATION 14 - Substitute recommendation passed per
committee recommendation.
Concerned Locals who pay per capita dues late.
-RESOLUTION 10 - Failed per committee recommendation.
Multi-Local member rebates.
-RECOMMENDATION 6 - This substitute recommendation FAILED
though found favorable by the committee after much debate. Debate
returned to the initial recommendation presented. At this point this
recommendation was withdrawn.

from the DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

-RECOMMENDATION 10 - substitute resolution passed per committee
recommendation. Concerned diversity delegates to AFL-CIO conventions
and requirements thereof.

-EMERGENCY RESOLUTION: Concerning the problem, which has turned
out to be widespread, of student ensembles replacing professional musicians
for all kinds of functions. In this case a professional orchestra being replaced
by a student orchestra from Roosevelt University.
THE RESOLUTION PASSED

-EMERGENCY RESOLUTION - Concerning saving money by discontinuing
multiple mailings of the same material to Locals, Officers and Delegates
and finding a way to disseminate the information electronically.
Since the committee that would handle this resolution would not have
24 hours to deliberate and bring it back to the body for a vote, it was
decided that it would be forwarded to the new IEB for a decision.

-RESOLUTION was passed to give outgoing AFM Vice-President Harold
Bradley Emeritus Status.
-RESOLUTION was passed to give outgoing AFM President Tom Lee
Emeritus Status.

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IV. OTHEER ACTIONS OF THE DAY

1) Certificates were given for various awards, including the award for the
“Most Contributions” to Local 47.
2) Player Conference Reports from: ROPA (Orchestral), OCSOM (The
only recognized player conference in Canada), TMA (Theater Musicians),
ICSOM (Orchestral) and RMA (Where International RMA President Phil
Alying had the gall to talk about “Forward Looking” contracts.
A lot of jaws were on the floor with that one).

[Editor's Note: This convention has confirmed for us that whatever an RMA
Offices SAYS, the opposite is true. The trouble is, to those who don't know
any better, the RMA Officers can sound absolutely reasonable. Just remember
that they do the opposite of what they say in front of large crowds they
have to convince of something.]

3) A report by the PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE
4) A report by the SMALL LOCALS COMMITTEE. (This committee will become
more and more important to the survival of the AFM in coming months
and years. Their website is AFMSLC.org.
5) A report by the FINANCE COMMITTEE, including the passage of
RESOLUTION A - that gives decision authority to the IEB (RMA) to make
decisions until the next convention.

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V. SWEARING IN OF NEW OFFICERS

After the swearing in those who spoke were: Sam Folio, Bob McGrew,
Billy Linneman, Bruce Fife, Bill Skolnick, Joe Parente, Vince Trombetta
(Who amazingly talked about character), Tino Gagliardi, David Pomeroy,
Tina Morrison, and finally Harold Bradley and Tom Lee who left the
room after finishing their comments.

Tom Lee gave an amazingly moving sensitive and classy speech.
The AFM has lost a class act in losing Tom Lee.

After Harold Bradley and Tom Lee left, it was time for the new president’s
speech.

Ray Hair began his speech by thanking the outgoing officers, and then
seemed to have self-induced amnesia about his own (or his owners)
and his crews’ actions during the election, considering the lies and
fabrications spewed by them and lapped up by the gullible. He talked
about civility and honesty and bringing back “GOOD” politics, saying
it was long overdo. More “opposite day” talk. He had the gall to speak
of pettiness and immaturity.

We remind you here, that if not for the economy and 30% of the
Locals not being able to come because of it, we believe the election
results would have been far, far different.

Will the new crew dare stray from their RMA script? We shall see.

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VI. ELECTION FINALS

740 Votes; 273 Delegates; 169 Locals; 4 locals didn’t vote.

PRESIDENT
Ray Hair - 408
Tom Lee - 324

INTERNATIONAL VICE-PRESIDENT
Harold Bradley - 249
Joe Boettger - 7
Bruce Fife - 469

CANADIAN VICE-PRESIDENT
Linda Kara - 28
Bill Skolnik - 112

SECRETARY-TREASURER
Leonard Dicosimo - 302
Sam Folio - 418
Quinten Solano - 11

INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Dan Cerveny - 107
Karen El-Chaar - 153
John Cusick - 39
Tino Gagliardi - 354
John Head - 92
Marty Hodapp - 37
Billy Linneman - 156
Bob McGrew - 240
Gary Matts - 236
Wayne Morris - 230
Tina Morrison - 274
Cortez Paige- 62
Joseph Parente - 277
David Pomeroy - 353
Vince Trombetta - 358
Pete Vriesenga - 72

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VII. CONVENTION COMMENTS

Tom Lee should wear it as “badge of honor” that these
evil people (RMA) don’t like him! Now Ray Hair gets to
dance for the RMA and we can take the “National” to the
Labor Department if they’re one “hair” out of line! A
“business league” posing as a “players conference”
takes over the AFM!

It is all about control of the national contracts and now
the RMA has gotten their guy in- an impotent President
who will to do their bidding! At least Tom Lee had balls!

Member Local 47, AFM

——————————————————-

Hello Comm!

Thank you for posting voices pro and con on your site!
I have tried to add to the discourse on the AFM Observer
and it appears that certain points of view are not going
to get aired there. Keep up the good work.

I am not against partisanship as long as there is some
balance to it. I think the Comm has proven itself to make
the effort because the blog is willing to print both sides
in the comments section.

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I’m so sorry guys,
you fought the good fight.

——————————————————-

Yeah let me thrust my tongue in my cheek make popping
sounds and twist my mouth at a 45 degree angle while
I discontinue these emails.

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Dear Committee:
I was able to read some of the info passed out at recent
Entertainment Industry Conference for CPAs and
entertainment attorneys. There were several very new
and revealing boilerplate contract terms for media music
composition and use as well as in-depth examinations
of new opportunities for content distribution. I believe
these new developments most likely render the entire
RMA-centric/what’s AFM going to do about it discussion
moot.

I would like to comment on this as well as ask the list why
should I renew my membership when I’ve never received
even benefits offered by small Locals like 190.

Please reply at your convenience.

[EDITOR'S COMMENT: Now that the RMA has taken over
the Federation, the chance for truly competitive contracts
is nill. You can expect the one contract that WAS forward
looking, the video game contract, will be removed to appease
the dynastic duo. Those at the top of the ladder will fight
to keep everything the same until they retire, at which point
the recording market will be in ashes, non-union recording
will be more rampant than it is now, and they'll not give two
shakes that they have destroyed the recording future
for everyone else.

As we've said before, the worst mentality is "As long as I get
what I want I don't care what happens to anyone else." This
has been and will continue to be the RMA mantra.]

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Another comment from our repeat RMA commenter:

[2) Since so many organizations have had to cut salaries,
we should consider slight cuts in the Officers Salaries.
Including those of Local 47 and Local 802.]

Since when do Local Officers’ salaries have any impact on
the Federation’s finances? A complete disconnect here.

[Editor's Comment: Did it ever occur to you that we were ALSO
talking about AFM Officers salaries?]

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This election represented a fight between good and evil. evil won.

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we are doomed to the bottom of the ocean

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It’s a very sad day for the AFM.

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

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

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

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 24th, 2010 at 6:53 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.