The Committee For A More Responsible Local 47

Greetings Local 47 Colleagues!

As expected, you had some pretty strong views about the unhappy Other Side of the Coin member.

Below are some of what we’ve received so far….

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Too long – the guy does make some good points –
we need to have meetings to focus on the lack of work issue
and get everyone on the same page to promote LA for work
all kinds of work

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Note to Mr. April 26th –

Since your e-mail (quoted below) seems to imply that membership to the AFM should be limited to only people who are actually professionals who can play (and I am not necessarily disagreeing with you), then maybe you can inform the rest of us exactly what instrument Sandy DeCrescent plays that makes her eligible to even be a member of our Union. As far as I know being a shrewd business person has never been one of the attributes that allowed one to join this union. It is YOU who have stated that this is an important aspect – maybe keeping ALL non professional/non playing musicians out of the union would have benefited everyone. I certainly know MANY people who feel that way. So if we are going to apply this standard to everyone – I am with you on that!!!

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Greetings Local 47 COLLEAGUES

For those of you received our offerings for the first time, WELCOME! This is a forum for Local 47 members in which you can comment and express yourself completely anonymously. Your identity will never been revealed unless YOU decide you want your name included with your posting. We also will advertise your events for you if you send us info, at NO COST.

We mostly exist to let you know what’s going on at the Local and what fellow members think that you will never find in the Overture, and to say the things that must not be said in public for fear of retribution. Should you wish to remove yourself simply use the link at the bottom of the page.

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TITLE: BRAVO LOCAL 47 COLLEAGUES! A TRIPLE CROWN VICTORY LAST NIGHT!

Bravo to the 150+ Local 47 brothers and sisters who turned out last night at a historic Local 47 meeting! BRAVO to all those who couldn’t attend but were there in spirit!

The membership achieved a great victory at the meeting last night! Every resolution was won for the benefit of the membership by landslides!

RESOLUTION I – DEFEATED OVERWHELMINGLY! – The 1st resolution, which was designed to increase the initiation fee for new members 200% from $25 to $75 was soundly defeated with approximately 139 voting against it.

RESOLUTION II – PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY! – The 2nd resolution, which was designed to guarantee the members voice being heard whether there was a quorum at a meeting or not, won with approximately 134 votes in favor.

RESOLUTION III – PASSED OVERWHELMINGLY! – The 3rd resolution which was designed to lower the quorum from 100 to 50 won by the widest margin with approximately 142 votes for the reduction, and only 13 votes against!

BRAVO INDEED! We have gotten our voice back and now must use it!

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Mailing title: UPDATE ON THE DECEPTIVE EMAIL SENT TO LOCAL 47 MEMBERS

IMPORTANT UPDATE ON THE FRAUDULENT EMAIL ADDRESS and SITUATION surrounding the MAILING.

Greetings Local 47 Colleagues!,
Someone is going to great lengths to pretend to be the COMMITTEE!

This past Saturday, a mailing was sent out from an e-mail address attempting to look like the COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47. The email address was a fraud. The deceptive e-mail address is [email protected].

Please know that the ONLY real e-mail for the COMMITTEE is [email protected]. If it doesn’t end with RESPONSIBLE47.com, it is fraudulent.

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Dear Local 47 Colleagues,

Plan now to attend the Monday, April 24th membership meeting at 7 pm. Please be there no later than 6:45.

There is a resolution at the meeting to LOWER the quorum back to 50. BE THERE AND MAKE IT HAPPEN! Read the details yourself on page 9 (not 13 as is printed) of the April overture.

Never before has a quorum been so crucial. This very well could be a meeting that is absolutely pivotal to our future.

Our local is under assault by the very people elected to protect it. Using a change in the quorum THEY engineered, they have be able to run unchecked for over 2 years and used that time to dismantle services and fire people vital to the freelance, live and orchestral members.

Those who ran Studio 47, The CD/Video Area and the Referral service have all been fired.

-Barbara Markey –15-year employee – CD/Video services – GONE
-Errol Henry – 9 year employee – Referral Service – GONE
-Vince Tividad –Studio 47 – GONE

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Committee mailing 3/27/06

Greetings Local 47 Colleagues,

We’ve been receiving so many comments from fellow Local 47
members that we wanted to share them with you. The anger at
the actions of this administration are reaching a boiling point
for many. As is our custom, the comments will be sent anonymously
unless otherwise directed.

It is vital that you come to the April 24th meeting at the Union
and bring 3 people with you! It is OUR local, not the
administrations local and it is time we had a voice again!

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47

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Greetings LOCAL 47 Colleagues!,

On Friday March 3,2006 a meeting took place in President
Espinosa’s office concerning the firing of Barbara Markay.

Below is a report by Lisa Haley from that meeting. Local 47
members Charles Fernandez and former Vice-president David
Schubach were also in attendance along with other members of
the FMA.

Following her report, we will have observations from another
attendee.

Thank you for reading and BE AT THE APRIL 24th MEETING!

THE COMMITTEE

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Dear esteemed fellow Union members:

At the Friday, March 3, 2006 meeting between Freelance Musicians
Assn-L.A. members and Local #47 officers, the following letter
was put forward by the FMA:

LETTER OF REQUEST:
– a letter of request was presented to President Hal, Vince
Trombetta, and board member Leslie Lashinsky, asking the
following:

– Barbara Markay and Errol Henry to be reinstated with back
pay, pending an inquiry as to whether our Local followed its own
policies on the dismissals.
– our Promotions Dept to be given a bona-fide office, and
restored to its former activities
– our Network Referral office to be left in its present location
– all future issues regarding Promotions Dept or Network
Referral to be put to a vote by a quorum at a general membership meeting.
– our officers to make a report setting forth evidence of what
surveys were done to support the need for re-structure of the
Promotions Dept.
– our officers to present evidence of what duties Barbara
Markay was unable or unwilling to do when asked, and where
her “skill-set” was lacking, which allegedly was the basis for her
dismissal.

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Greetings Local 47 Colleagues,

The following are correspondence sent from Errol Henry to the Board and Officers of the Local, plus an update for the membership at the end. He asked us to share these with you, the members of Local 47.

For those who don’t know who Errol Henry was to the Local, he was an employee for 9 years. For the last few years he had run the referral service.

When reading the correspondence below please keep in mind that Errol in his entire nine years at the local NEVER filed a formal complaint against anyone. He also increased the jobs created by the referral service every year he was there, his last year being a record year.

This fine and loyal employee to the membership for nine years was in the end driven to lodge the
complaints below because of the inexcusable conduct of Doug Caine, conduct we’ve already seen in action with the treatment of Barbara Markay.

Examples from Errol below:
•“Don’t f••• with me Henry! I’ll have your job in a heartbeat!”
• “You’re fired”, “Can’t you take a joke Henry?”
•“This conversation is over! You’ve told me everything I need to know!”
• “Have Miss Boston Boobies help you with it.”
• He once stated to me that he’s here because it “amuses” him. That’s his attitude. He wants to see how far he can go for amusement sake.

It’s a long read but you need to know what’s being allowed by this administration to go on at our
Local. LET YOUR VIEWS BE KNOWN!

Let’s let Errol tell you in his own words:

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Barbara Markay testimonials

Dear Friends:

Here is a sampling of letters sent on behalf of Barbara Markay.
Please add your voice!

President Hal’s email: [email protected]
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Barbara Markay runs the Promotions dept., an essential tool for Freelance Musicians in our Union.

Barbara has greatly benefited us all over the years – giving us guidance with reguard to record labels, managers, agents, distribution, CD pressing – every aspect of the needs of recording artists. To have a meeting with Barbara was always to come away with a successful game plan for one’s next career step. A treasure trove. I have testimonials coming out my ears this week. A fine use of our Union dues, with which we were well-satisfied.

Officially Barbara’s title, ‘radio and retail promotions’, conveys the picture of someone providing info on CDs and radio. This any rep could cover. But in reality, Barbara’s abilities cover many more aspects of Promotion. She has had a hit song, made money therefrom, and has a lot of wisdom to give us from a successful recording artist’s perspective.

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Hal and the gang are at it again, another live service employee fired while on vacation!

Dear LOCAL 47 colleagues,

This administration is hell bent on destroying services for the live players and we’ve seen more proof of that tonight.

Errol Henry, who has worked for the Local for the last 9 years and ran the referral service, was fired while home sick, recuperating from the flu.

At least this time Doug Caine wasn’t used as the front man. President Hal Espinosa himself told Errol Henry he was being fired because he felt Errol “Couldn’t follow a Mandate”. This according to Errol himself.

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