From the NEW YORK TIMES<\/p>\n
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Propelled by Pension Fears, a Musicians\u2019 Union Elects Change<\/strong><\/p>\n By Michael Cooper<\/a><\/p>\n Dec. 5, 2018<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The leadership team of the New York local of the musicians\u2019 union \u2014 the union\u2019s largest local in the nation \u2014 was voted out of office on Tuesday in a stunning upset, amid concerns over the underfunded musicians\u2019 pension plan and broader changes facing music, the original gig economy.<\/p>\n It was the first contested election in nine years at Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, and it could cause national ripples. Adam Krauthamer<\/a> was elected president<\/a> with 67 percent of the vote, beating Tino Gagliardi, who has held the post for nine years and played a key behind-the-scenes role in the city\u2019s musical life.<\/p>\n The insurgency began with musicians concerned about their pensions. The American Federation of Musicians and Employers\u2019 Pension Fund, a multiemployer plan representing thousands of musicians around the country, has grown so underfunded<\/a> that it may decide to reduce benefits in the future. The crisis has led to renewed activism by musicians.<\/p>\n Some have sued the plan\u2019s trustees, claiming mismanagement, which the trustees have denied. Others, including Mr. Krauthamer, formed a group called Musicians for Pension Security<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt made people stand up and take a look around and see what was going on,\u201d Mr. Krauthamer, 37, said in an interview on Wednesday.<\/p>\n He said that many musicians were troubled by what they found \u2014 feeling that the trustees of the pension fund had been unresponsive to their concerns \u2014 and worried that the large New York local was losing members and growing out of touch with the needs of a new generation of musicians. Several of New York\u2019s cutting-edge ensembles, including the International Contemporary Ensemble, have opted not to unionize<\/a> in recent years.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we don\u2019t find a way to bring new members into our union, and more work under contract, we are never going to be able to fund our pension,\u201d he said before playing the French horn in a matinee of \u201cFrozen\u201d on Broadway.<\/p>\n