I. LETTER TO VARIOUS PLACES INCLUDING THE DOJ
II. HOW ABOUT SOME FACTS?
III. MORE SELLING MEMBER COMMENTS – DON’T SEND YOUR BALLOT!
IV. TIME IS NOW COMMENTS
V. EVENTS
…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer
…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician
…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician
Name Withheld
===================================
I. LETTER OF CONCERN SENT
FROM A MEMBER:
Hello!
Please find attached the Letter of Concern that was mailed
to various heritage, press, internal, and government agencies.
I have removed all the CCs so as not to put that on the public site.
Thanks for posting.
—————————-
Re: Proposed sale of Musicians Union/Musicians Club building and
property – Vine Street and Lillian Way, Hollywood, CA 90038
LETTER OF CONCERN
This letter is being written to communicate to those interested parties of
clear opposition to the decision of the Executive Board of the Musicians
Club/Local 47 to sell the real estate property owned in Hollywood, CA.
Approval of the sale must be obtained from the membership by
referendum.
Contrary to the proposal of the elected officials, there is deep concern
among the rank-and-file that
1) the membership strongly disagree with the sale of the union hall,
which is a Hollywood “mid-century” landmark and our historic home;
and
2) the membership has been systematically kept from engaging in
regular membership meetings where concrete action might be taken;
and
3) the timeline for the process of the sale of the properties has been
manipulated to frustrate any debate;
and
4) the Local 47 officers, who have been working towards the sale of this
real estate for six months before making the membership aware of the
proposal, are now using every tool at their disposal, including the official
newspaper, phone banks and staff personnel, to influence the outcome of
the vote on the issue.
Simply put, there is a consensus outside the administration by the few
who have been able to engage in discourse, that the elected officers are
seeking a quick fix to a long term problem, i.e. the decrease in revenue
to the local. Simply put, we are being hustled and muscled out of our
historic home without consideration of alternatives to being divested of a
wholly owned facility.
The Executive Board has controlled the timeline regarding communication
to the membership and made it impossible to have had any on-the
record dissent until after the ballots were sent out. The membership-at
large has had only what the administration has touted via a Special
Edition of the Overture. a brochure/flyer telling us what we might get if
we agree to sell.
The facts are as follows:
The property was found listed for sale as of July 7, 2015.
The required formal resolution to seek sale of the property by the
Musician’s Club was made August 11, 2015
Special Edition of the Overture promotional flyer/brochure was mailed
early September 2015. It contained an announcement of an
“informational meeting” on October 5th with the referendum ballots
to be sent October 9, 2015.
On October 2, 2015 an email notice was sent to members informing
us that no votes would be taken at the “informational meeting.”
The “informational meeting” identified as a Q and A was held October 5,
2015. We were reminded that no votes would be taken. There were
approximately 120 in attendance. A power point presentation was made
including that an offer of 24 Million dollars for our four parcels had been
received. A straw pole was held overwhelming indicating to the Executive
Board that more information was required and that the balloting should
be postponed.
The Local held two Q and A lunches the following two Tuesdays, October
12 and October 20. About 20 persons were at these luncheon events
including a quorum of the Executive Board and realtors. While, it was
acknowledged that the members in attendance did express valid
concerns, President Acosta told those present that the Executive Board
“sees no negatives” in the sale of the property.
Ballots were mailed several days before our quarterly General
Membership Meeting of October 26, 2015.
The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, (LMRDA) provides
standards for union member participation in their governance.
——-
TITLE I — BILL OF RIGHTS OF MEMBERS OF LABOR ORGANIZATIONS
Bill of Rights
(29 U.S.C. 411)
SEC. 101. (a)(1) EQUAL RIGHTS.– Every member of a labor organization
shall have equal rights and privileges within such organization to
nominate candidates, to vote in elections or referendums of the labor
organization, to attend membership meetings and to participate in the
deliberations and voting upon the business of such meetings, subject to
reasonable rules and regulations in such organization’s constitution and
bylaws.
——-
These rights and privileges have also been held to include that the
membership have a “meaningful vote”. It appears that the administration
of the Local has made it impossible for alternative views to be shared
by the membership- at- large.
The mailing of the ballots prior to any on-the-record discourse was
followed by the immediate implementation of phone-banking to get
members to return their ballots and vote yes. The administration of Local
47 has not allowed for alternative voices to mount valid counter
arguments.
Also, an independent internet blog, that has followed our internal union
issues for a decade and the ONLY SOURCE of unfiltered communication
(a place where members could post anonymously avoiding reprisal ) went
down only days after posting member comments in reaction to the initial
promotional mailing. Currently the website is up but the ability to send
updates to subscribers is not.
Additionally, we are concerned about the validity of the ballot process.
We are told that the mail-in ballots will be collected as they come in and
stored in our Secretary -Treasures office. Ballots are then to be counted
by our Local 47 Election Board and designees. Generally our Election
Board only counts those votes taken at membership meetings, not the
minimum 3000 plus ballots that will be needed to be counted for this
referendum. Given the magnitude of this referendum-a 24 Million dollar
transaction- certainly the voting membership deserve the services of a
professional election company. This is how we conduct our biennial
elections where no tangible assets are involved.
The Executive Board of the Musician’s Club is also the Executive Board
of Local 47, AFM. We were told that this is not unusual in the case of
a 501 (c) (2).
However, the Local used the Club as a shield to keep the membership
from taking control of this ill advised proposal. We believe that the
historical lack of virtually any corporate formalities by the Club and the
exchange of monies without interest between the two entities provides
the Attorney General power to disregard this artificial barrier.
Indeed, since 2008, the 990 Form filed by the Musician’s Club has
reported a large loan and subsequent larger added sum by Local 47
as a secured note owed to an unrelated third party. This is not the
case. It is an unsecured note owed to a related third party. Musicians
Club/ Local 47.
Between 2005 and 2009, nearly one million dollars was used to build
rehearsal rooms and refurbish our auditorium. Both of these projects
went far over the initial budget estimates. Why would the administration
have committed to such a large capital investment when it was clear that
revenue was on the decline? Was this a way to intentionally spend down
cash reserves in order to try and justify what they are doing now? On the
other hand, the administration made a million dollar building
improvement to upgrade the union hall for the benefit of future
generations. Absent gross negligence, this would not have been done if
the union was in financial trouble.
As stakeholders in this property, we have requested a halt of this
referendum until the rank-and-file has been given reasonable forum for
on-the-record input, including a substantial amount of time to consider
this momentous event, plus full disclosure of the administration’s efforts
toward the sale, and, if it comes to a vote, an independent agency to
verify and count the ballots.
====================================
II. HOW ABOUT SOME FACTS?
As most of you know, another RA-RA sales pitch has gone
out from the Local spending our dues to push the building
sale.
And once again there are no dissenting voices included,
though dues money from all of us is being used to pay for it.
The misinformation has become laughable, so we thought
we’d provide you with some facts.
The recent mailing proudly lists the Building Committee as
Mike Barone, Michael Davis, Lisa Haley, Allen Fogle,
and Jon Papenbrook.
Only problem is there have been no meetings of the
building committee, so it’s not even active yet, the
folks names are being used in the sales pitch though.
We don’t even know if those on the committee actually
support the sale.
A BRAND NEW BUILDING?
Qoute from the pitch –
“sell the aging Vine Street property so we are able
to move into new state of the art facilities.”
That NEW STATE OF THE ART building is 47
years old, has been sitting empty for 7 years, and
on the market for 2 years. And it is in a pretty
sorry state if you’ve taken a look.
FINANCIAL FACTS ABOUT THE LOCAL
The Local has ZERO debt. It has approx. $975,000 in CDs,
invested in multiple places. The Local has always had
enough money to pay CASH for all of the repairs or
improvements and even new buildings, i.e. the rehearsal
rooms.
The Local has spent over a million dollars on the property
in the last few years. The rehearsal building was $530,000.
The auditorium remodel was $360,000. The remodeling on
behalf of the Federation west coast offices moving in was
around $100,000.
A new chiller for the bulk of the AC for the building was
$65,000. The Club “CLUB 47” generates income – $290,000
in 2014. The property tax gets paid, some money gets paid
to the local on the two loans for the rehearsal building and the
auditorium remodel, and barring any other major expenses for
the building, the rest gets turned over to the local. That is in
the club bylaws.
So the idea that the Local can not afford a new roof at this
point is really not true. They will likely end this year in the
black as they have laid off at least four employees in the last
few years, have not replaced our computer system admin,
Candi, who sadly passed away.
They have almost undoubtedly cut legal expenses- I think
in 2013 they spent well over $200,000 of the members
money on that- so the desire and rush to sell 817 Vine
has to be about something else.
Not because they can’t figure out a way to pay for the roof.
In late 2012 and the first half of 2013 they came up with
$460,000 to pay the federation back work dues that the Local
owed them. They will take in at least 4 million this year in
dues; they have shrunk the staff and have hopefully curbed
excess spending on lawyers- but they still want at least 10
million dollars….!
========================================
III. MORE SELLING MEMBER COMMENTS – DON’T SEND YOUR BALLOT!
[Are they finally admitting that the VOTE is a fraud after all?]
———————
2) I just got off the phone with employee ——- ——-
from 47 asking that if you received the ballot to mail it back.
They have the union employees on a phone bank again.
He referred to it as to sell the union and purchase
the property. Interesting.
Not whether to vote to sell or not, just to sell the
property.
If I understand correctly why do they feel 47 need to make
the call for “YES” or “NO” when they are counting
on receiving enough combined ballots to qualify to allow them to
sell one way or the other, if I understand this correctly.
If they don’t get enough yes or no ballots combined they
can’t do anything. Which I believe is the best response to
this problem.
By not mailing the ballot back it becomes a “mutt” subject.
And I do mean a mutt subject!
Hang on to your wallets. The next sound you hear is your
union at work liquidating your Club 47 dollars for their
benefit.
They are using Club 47 as if it was theirs to do what they
please under the provisions of the Club.
[From a COMMITTEE member: I think this voter is correct,…
just don’t send back your ballot.
The Local just sent yet another mailer…postcard that has
several members photos on it saying.. “we all agree”…
yada yada.
Again, totally one sided mailing, not including dissenting voices.
Using our dues in a totally one-sided campaign.
So far, they obviously don’t have the ballots they need even
to make the referendum viable.
The administration does not have a Plan B to the failure of the sale
of Vine. A sale that would generate a large pot of money to continue
doing business as usual.
We, the membership can!]
————————————–
Comment:
Congratulations to those who got the union to have another meeting
regarding the sale of 47’s property. Although many of us are against
this for multiple reasons, it is hard to speak up in fear of future
repercussions from our union officers who are putting on the hard
sell on this and whom we all know do not treat everyone equally.
Maybe the union officers should be recused from this meeting
so the membership can speak freely.
==================================
IV. MORE COMMENTS
does this move secure the future of the membership? The only
member revenues into the local are regular dues and work dues
paid under a CBA. I haven’t heard anything of substance that
tells us that the Local, (no matter where they re-locate) has a
concrete plan to raise this revenue.
Even with the promise of the significantly increased property
tax being paid by our inherited restaurants businesses…does
anyone think this is a good investment strategy?
How long will the left over money last? Oh…yes! We are told
the administration will invest the monies not sucked up by
a relocation to secure …whose future?
One of our colleagues said it best…” You can’t let them sell….
in 10 years there will be no music business…but the building
will be worth 50 million dollars!”
—————————-
Did you get the new sales pitch postcard form the Local?
President Acosta talks about fixing financial imbalances.
Why doesn’t he get specific?
Contractors, players and clients agree. The RMA has destroyed
this locals and the afms finances. get them removed from
contract negotiation. Remove them form any role that can affect
our getting work back.
=================================
V. EVENTS
DEAN AND RICHARD
DEAN AND RICHARD are now playing every third Friday
at Culver City Elks 7:30pm-10;30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
————————————-
LA WINDS JAZZ KATS 584
NO COVER, NO MINIMUM.
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Viva Cantina
7:30-10:00.
900 Riverside Drive, Burbank.
Free parking across the street at Pickwick Bowl.
Come hear your favorite charts played the way they
should be.
We are in the back room called the Trailside Room.
Come on down. Guaranteed to swing.
————————————
12/2/15
FREE ADMISSION GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS
Every FIRST & THIRD WEDNESDAY at 12:10-12:40 pm
On Wednesday DECEMBER 2, 2015 at 12:10-12:40 pm
JAZZ CONCERT:
DON RADER – Trumpet
GARY SOLT – Guitar
Bios:
http://allmusic.com/artist/don-rader-mn0000191281
Interesting interview with Don Rader:
http://jazzpro.nationaljazzarchive.org.uk/interviews/Don%20Rader.htm
RELAX DURING YOUR LUNCH HOUR WITH LIVE MUSIC
(Please note!!) NEW LOCATION:
The Sanctuary at GLENDALE CITY CHURCH
610 E. California Ave. (at Isabel)
Glendale CA 91206
818 244-7241
Map & venue info http://glendalecitychurch.org/index.php/location.html
More info email [email protected]
*************************************
UPCOMING CONCERTS in the same series:
(every FIRST & THIRD WEDNESDAY at 12:10-12:40 pm;
programs subject to change)
DECEMBER 16, 2015
OBOE RECITAL
Works by JOHN SCOTT & PAUL HINDEMITH
Catherine Del Russo -oboe
Mark Robson – piano
JANUARY 6, 2016
VIOLIN RECITAL
ALBERTO GINASTERA (Celebrating Ginastera’s Centenary!)
Pampeana No.1, Op.16 (1947)
JOHANNES BRAHMS
Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor, op.108
Jacqueline Suzuki – violin
Rosa LoGiudice – piano
JANUARY 20, 2016
CHOBRATY Brass Duo
Michael Vlatkovich – trombone
Willian Roper – tuba
http://roperarts.com/chbrty.htm
CONCERT UPDATES:
http://www.glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com
MORE FREE CONCERTS:
http://www.edendaleupclose.blogspot.com
———————————————
11/28/15
San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra
James Domine, Music Director, Presents in Concert
Saturday Evening, November 28, 2015, 7:30 PM
Janet & Ray Scherr Forum Theatre
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
Rimsky-Korsakoff
Scheherazade
MTAC Concerto Competition Winners:
Saint-Saens Cello Concerto in A minor (excerpts)
Aliya Hunter, cellist
Elgar Cello Concerto in E minor, 1st movement
Isaac Yun, cellist
Liszt Piano Concerto in E-flat major, 1st movement
Devon Valdez, pianist
Tickets are available on the website:
http://www.sfvsymphony.com/
At the Theater Box Office
By calling (818) 347- 4807
————————————————–
12/5/15
CULVER CITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Opening Concert
Openings and Breakthroughs
We open our 2015-16 Season Saturday., December 5, 2015, 8:00PM
Veterans Memorial Auditorium, 4117 Overland Ave. and Culver Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90230. Free parking, entrances from Culver Blvd.
MAP LINK
To mark our return to Culver City, we present our largest orchestra
of the season with Frank Fetta and a thrilling young musician,
Alexander Agate.
We are back after another “Best of the Westside 2015,”
The Argonaut, while in Marina del Rey.
A perfect musical start to the holiday season.
Each work on the concert was a breakthrough for the composer in
maturity-Prokofiev, artistically-Tchaikovsky, or led to greater
recognition-Humperdink.
These breakthroughs led to openings and advancement in the
composers’ musical lives. LINK
This concert is under the direction Conductor/Music Director-Frank Fetta.
This performance is made possible in part by a
Grant from Los Angeles County Arts Commission.
PROGRAM, December 5, 2015
Openings and Breakthroughs
Engelbert Humperdink: Overture from “Hansel und Gretel” (1893)
Serge Prokofiev: Piano Concerto, No. 1 (1911-12)
Alexander Agate-Piano, Young Adult Division Winner,
Parness Concerto Competition-2014
Pyotr Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 4 (1878)
Admission Charge
$10: GEN ADMN. At Veterans Memorial Auditorium the evening
of the performance and on-line: TICKETS LINK
$5: 13-17 years of age and under.
Box Office the evening of the performance.
Free: Ages 6-12, when accompanied by an adult.
The Box Office opens at 7:00PM the evening of the concert.
Members of SoCal Symphony Society receive two free tickets to the Dec.
5, 2015, Jan. 30, 2016 and Apr. 2, 2016, concerts, available at the box
office the evening of the concert. You can purchase your membership
now, through this e-mail, see below, at the concert, or on our website:
MEMBERSHIP LINK
Your membership is part of the music making. Please support
Classical Music, CCSO and support your musical and social life.
Regards,
Matthew Hetz, President and Executive Director
Culver City Symphony Orchestra
SoCal Symphony Society
[email protected]
www.culvercitysymphony.org
——————————————-
12/6/15
ASMAC HOLIDAY LUNCHEON
Please Join in the Holiday Spirit with old and new friends.
Mingle and Sing-A-Long with the ASMAC Holiday Voices
(a 14 piece choral group directed by Sally Stevens & Ian Freebairn Smith)
and shop early for the holidays.
No-host cocktails, silent auction, raffle, gourmet buffet brunch, and entertainment.
Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015 – 11:30am.
ASMAC / LA Jazz Society Holiday Brunch
At Catalina’s Jazz Club – Hollywood
Guests $60 each
LAJS members $50 each (maximum 2)
ASMAC members $50 each (maximum 2)
Entertainment & Dessert only – check-in at 1pm – $20 each
For more information please call 818.994.4661
================================
You can read all previous offerings at:http://www.responsible47.com
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47