SPECIAL REPORT: FMA PRES MEETS L47 EB
SPECIAL REPORT
FMA-LA REPORT ON REFERRAL SERVICE MEETING WITH EXECUTIVE BOARD
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Colleagues,
Within days of the Local declaring the Local 47 Referral Website up and running,
the Referral Service Committee was summarily dissolved by President Trombetta.
The RS Committee’s job was not done, there were four motions to be fulfilled,
yet the President dissolved it outright. The president of the FMA-LA, Lisa Haley
requested to appear at an Executive Board meeting. Below is the her report
and notes from members Helen Crosby and Harriet Katz, who attended as observers.
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FMA-LA REPORT ON REFERRAL SERVICE MEETING WITH EXECUTIVE BOARD
FMA-L.A. Report on the Executive Board (EB) Meeting with Lisa Haley
Report written July 6, 2010
Greetings fellow musicians:
I have endeavored for over a week to write to you a report on the June 29,
2010 meeting with our EB that would maintain decorum, avoid unnecessary
division, and move us all towards common agreement.
Unfortunately, in view of the events of the meeting, I have arrived at the
conclusion that it is not possible to do so. I must simply state what will
surely be reflected by our Secretary in the official Minutes of the meeting,
since the ideas brought forth and the discussions resulting at an EB
meeting must be made available to all members, as the EB was NOT
in executive session at the time.
Thank you to Helen Crosby and Harriet Katz, who attended as observers
and took notes. Helen’s notes are included in their entirety at the end
of my letter.
We are sure that our Local #47 Secretary’s notes will be far more
comprehensive.
Lisa Haley report:
At the General Meeting (GM) Oct 22, 2007, Live Performance/
Freelance members passed four Motions “to restore and then
surpass the highest operating level of the Referral Service.” (RS)
The Motions were extremely clear. A Referral Service Committee
was formed to oversee the completion of the Motions.
The deadline for completion was April, 2008.
Over two years later, we’re still waiting for the EB to fulfill the
will of the members. They have violated their deadline.
At the EB meeting on June 29, the following revelations were
made by EB members:
- A half-finished, static Referral Service website can take the
place of the real marketing and personal outreach which is
standard practice for any successful business. (This same marketing
expertise was the reason David Schubach and Errol Henry had
such a high level of work coming through the RS. Unfortunately,
Sam Chates was directed early on by the EB to put his efforts
elsewhere.)
- President Trombetta dismissed our Referral Service Committee
(RSC) - except he called it a ” Referral Service Website Committee.”
(Note the subtle change.)
Lisa Haley then stated the Referral Service Committee”s (RSC)
proper name as it is on the Passed Motions, (the word “Website”
does not appear,) and it was pointed out to the EB that the RSC
was to oversee the COMPLETION of all Passed Motions, not just
the website
- Secretary Lashinsky suggested that even though the Motions
passed unanimously, the fact that we only had a 53-person
quorum at the time of passage. (the Motions, having been
pushed to the end of the GM, when many members had gone
home) Somehow that made the passage less valid?
This is such a shocking suggestion that it goes to the very
core of what a Union is. If our very Officers are not going to
abide by our Bylaws and the will of the members, (which set
Quorum at 50 some years ago due to the percentage of rank
and file members actually interested in and /or able to attend
meetings) or suggest some members’ votes are perceived to be
less “valid” than others, those allowing such a departure from
our Bylaws and basic Unionism should not be representing that
they have sworn to uphold our laws.
- Our Secretary also suggested that members registered with
the Referral Service cannot be depended upon overall to do a
quality job for clients who request Union musicians. That the
very “lottery system” put in place by the EB to prevent favoritism
would somehow allow our remaining clients to receive a musically
substandard quality of performance.
Again, this is such a shocking suggestion that one HAS to look
at an alternative motive.
We can only assume that the alternative is to allow our Officers to
“Pick and Choose” who gets the work. Unfortunately, this violates
Federal law, as well as our Local #47 Bylaws which state that we must
have an impartial Referral Service in order to avoid blatant favoritism.
With a very heavy heart, I report that Sam Chates has quit his position
as Referral Service Administrator.
I call on all members to look into any instance of work coming in to
the Referral Service that was diverted in any way and taken advantage of
by those who believe that illegal favoritism, diversion of work from equally
deserving members, and subterfuge are normal and necessary to our
Union”s future.
I also call on members in good standing to attend the Fall GM on Oct 25,
2010, and Vote into place a Bylaw change that states:
“Every Local #47 Executive Board meeting shall be recorded in its entirely
(except those portions done in Executive Session,) and the resulting
recording be available in the Members’ Only section of the Local #47
website, for all members in good standing to review.”
Perhaps this will stop the disturbing developments to which I was
unfortunately a witness at the June 29 meeting.
Fraternally Yours,
Lisa Haley
President
FMA-L.A.
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Helen Crosby Notes of Meeting -
June 29, 2010
Leslie Lashsinky provides the EB with email, minutes, and
correspondence regarding the referral service (RS). While passing
these documents around the table she referred to the RSC as the
“website committee”.
Next Sec. L shared her thoughts. The RSC did not administer or
supervise the RS and the committee had fulfilled its duty. We have
a website.
Lisa Haley responded - The purpose of the RSC went beyond just the
website.
Discussion of motions 1-4 and the objectives. The progress report
was made but not all the motions have been fulfilled. E.g. budget,
advertising, marketing. Sam Chase at one time had restrictions
regarding the use of the phone.
Motion 3: Incorporation of the website with an actual RS office.
We have a static website. When there is no outreach, musicians
see a drastic reduction in work.
The motions passed were not exclusive to the website.
John Acosta- noted to the table that all resolutions passed unanimously.
Further, he has brought a plan to the EB about the RS but nothing
has been decided.
He said some word is getting out and Sam has made some of the rounds.
Paul Castillo- Asked when Lisa “stopped participating” with the RSC?
Lisa- stepped down as chair after receiving a Grammy nomination.
Marcy Vaj became chair a year and a half ago. There have been three
meetings with the officers.
Paul Castillo - asked about “restoring the levels?”
Lisa - Advertise, we must put our name consistently before the clients -
we are not visible.
Greg Huckins - requested that the term “motions passed” be used
in this discussion rather than “past motions.”
Judy Chilnick - Wanted to know who restricted Sam’s use of the
telephone to only handle “incoming calls”?
Lisa- Hal was President then. Vince - not going to comment(indicated
no knowledge of such a directive).
Vince Trombetta- asked Lisa for a list of members of the FMA-LA.
Lisa responded that she does not need to provide a list because only
chartered groups need to have a list, not freestanding committees.
The issue was dropped by Vince.
[Editor's Comment: Trombetta has tried this little game several times before.]
Greg Huckins- Asked: Do you see the RS as a talent agency? Should
we call clients, civic organizations, Chambers of Commerce?
Went on to say that when the RS was run by David Schubach there was
no Facebook and asked Lisa if she would say that Facebook is valuable
for “networking”. Our union does not need to duplicate.
Lisa - Static websites require the client to seek out the business.
A losing strategy for all involved. Facebook is good for fans only.
It is not an official website.
Greg-responded with a hypothetical on coming to LA and being
new in to… that Facebook would be valuable in finding work.
“Facebook is now available to every musician and his band.”
Lisa- discussion of “client instigated” activity. Not all band leaders
have their own label, booking agency, and most of the rank and
file don’t have the capability to do the work needed to keep up
on “opportunities”.
Facebook is for fans and has no music capability. Myspace has
music capability but it is used for bands with little financial
resources. Still the “client” has to be directed to the site.
Organizations want to use “legitimate” sources to procure
musical services.
Pam Gates- What is Sam”s job description?
John Acosta- RS Assistant, member services.
Job is to solicit, adjust information on the website, have contact
with event planners and casting agents.
Pam- Do we make “cold calls”?
J.A.- No, we call using a generated list of contacts.
Pam- we need larger outreach?
Lisa- much needed.
Roy D’Antonio- asked Lisa- “Do you want the RS to act as a booking agent?”
Leslie Lashinsky- There are really only two issues today. 1) the
lifespan of the RSC and 2) Demand for better services.
After 2008 there was no dictate as to the length of, or term of the
“ad hoc committee”.
Regarding the language “urged to”… reminder by the time these
motions were voted on there was barley a quorum. Urged to =
goals but was not a “dictate” or a “mandate”. It was not an accident
that the text was adjusted. “I’m not trying to say that there is a
loophole”. “The issues are not dead. There is a feeling that we want
to support our members in the most current and relevant ways.”…
“Within context of current circumstances.”
“The EB might not be aware of this but, we must remember we have
to represent all equally without judgment”. Leslie then goes on to
describe the various types of members, including students. We
cannot promote any particular party…. if the client is unhappy…
we cannot guarantee quality… (yada).
Paul Castillo- Asks Lisa- “Are you registered with Go Pro? Are you
registered with other referral services?”
Lisa- “Yes, if we are not reaching out then whoever is, is getting the job.”
Paul- discussion of statistics,… ?
Lisa- “There is no electronic replacement for personal contact.”
John Acosta- Thanks Lisa for her coming to the meeting… Asks
hypothetical- “If the EB committed to a plan for implementation ,
does the RSC need to be kept?”
Lisa- “Maybe not. But obviously since the April 2008 deadline for
our Motions was not met, we need oversight.”
Leslie Lashinsky- RE: Initiation of new members. Says she reminds
new members that nothing takes the place of the musician’s own
contacts. “Local 47 tries to provide the tools.” “We have to provide
a referral mechanism.” Our system now 5-7 random,…
Perceived danger of lack of quality, means we the Local cannot
promote.
Lisa- the original FMA wording, written weeks in advance of the
General Meeting, said that the Executive Board “must” accomplish
the objectives of the four Motions.
One member suggested the word change to “be urged to.”
The language change was for “gentility” not a “loophole”.
Vince Trombetta_ Thanked all for coming.(Including observers).
Language change at the Federation, documents to change “casual
musician” to “freelance musician”. In Los Angeles, all the members
except the LA Phil. Musicians are “freelance”.
We are not a booking agency. No other local has four employees
working in that area.
End of Notes
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Note from Harriet Katz
Not one board member even acknowledged, let alone criticized,
the fact that motions passed by the membership at the October
22, 2007 General Meeting are being ignored and flouted.
As Lisa and Helen Crosby’s report on the meeting shows, there are
two all-important conclusions to be drawn:
1. Too many board members know little or nothing about promotion
or marketing of musicians in the first place, and little or nothing about
the rapidly developing high-tech tools we now need to use to promote
and market ourselves and our groups;
2. Too many board members couldn’t care less.
Harriet Katz
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From Local 47 member Charles Fernandez
To the COMMITTEE,
Lisa, Helen and Harriet were kind enough to send me their reports.
What should become abundantly clear from the notes is the distain with
which some of the EB hold true casual musicians. I was personally
disgusted, but not at all surprised, to hear about the posturing and
snide remarks of some of the board. Others seems to not know about
the issue but were trying to find out.
Our RS has been almost inactive, except for the efforts of Sam Chates,
restricted as he was until he recently quit. That begs the question,
“All things being equal, Local 47 would still get calls on occasion.”
WHO DID THOSE JOBS GO TO?
Note the last statement of President Trombetta: “In Los Angeles, all
the members except the LA Phil. musicians are ‘freelance’ “.
THIS IS IMPORTANT
At the last convention:
1) A resolution was passed creating a $100,000 fund specifically
for “freelance/casual” Musicians.
2) Another resolution got rid of the word “casual” to use the word
“freelance” instead.
3) Trombetta states all musicians (presumably all RMA members
as well) are considered freelancers except members of the LA Phil.
Any bets that the lion’s share of that money will find it’s way into
RMA members pockets?
If the Officers of any other company were to engage in such transparent
and intellectually dishonest conduct they would be fired and probably
find the Department of Labor on their doorstep.
Unfortunately, few true rank and file members of this Local still care
enough to get involved. Apathy has taken over since the membership
has realized our Local has been almost totally undermined. We just
lost another one who cared, Sam Chates, and that only leaves a couple
still at the Local. As expected, the administration is trying to pressure
them to leave as well.
What a shame. This used to be a Local we could be proud of.
Charles Fernandez
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Colleagues,
In this month’s President’s Column, President Trombetta says in part,
“Now that the SELA is dead…” The SELA was a single engagement contract
that enabled leaders to pay their own Pension and HandW without
having to incorporate, which can be very expensive.
One or two people misused the system so rather than punishing those
who abused it, they shut down the use of the contract entirely.
Congratulations Local 47 Officers, You’ve managed to ruin two more
of the few things that make the local useful for the rank and file. The Referral
Service and the SELA. Your RMA handlers must be very happy with you.
We’re sure you’ll get a bonus of some kind.
There ought to be a law.
THE COMMITTEE
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UNTIL NEXT TIME,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47
Visit us at www.responsible47.com
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