from the January 2021 issue of Allegro...

By Local 802 President Adam Krauthamer Recently I had the privilege to participate on a Zoom panel at Yale School of Music — my alma mater — with students who will soon be graduating and joining the workforce. The question

By Adam Krauthamer There are no words to describe the evolving crisis that all of us are experiencing right now. The pain and confusion are possibly at the highest level that many of us have ever felt, and I don’t

In this month’s president’s report, I want to reprint a letter that was recently e-mailed to all members from the Local 802 Executive Board. On December 30, 2019, the AFM-EPF Trustees formally applied to the U.S. Treasury to reduce pension

I often talk about the inevitability of change. As a community of musicians working in an ever-changing industry, we must both drive change and adapt to it. It’s vital to the success and power of our union to develop an

The upcoming Oct. 23 membership meeting at Local 802 is extremely important. There will be a presentation by the DCINY Organizing Committee outlining their successful efforts this past summer and an update on their continued fight for a first contract

Happy summer to all! I’m happy to report that Local 802, the Broadway League and the coordinated bargaining partners have entered into a new three-year collective bargaining agreement. The deal features the largest wage increase in the past two decades,

In mid-April, well over 150 Local 802 musicians stood together at Dante Park, directly across from Lincoln Center, to demonstrate solidarity with their colleagues on strike at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. A group of 30 brass musicians from the Metropolitan

Every year, March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation. The month is set aside to honor women’s contributions in American history. One new milestone for women at 802 came through the recent election. Membership voted in 11 women

  Throughout my campaign for president, I stressed that to become a stronger union we all need to openly acknowledge the daunting challenges we face: a declining union membership, less work under contract, an entire younger generation of musicians who

In mid-October, Local 802 became aware that the Manhattan Symphonie was hiring musicians to appear throughout a three-hour broadcast of “Fox and Friends.” Fox is not a signatory to the AFM Basic Cable agreement. No agreement was filed for this

I  hope everyone had a relaxing summer. For me, there was lots of union activity on the front burner. Here’s just a sample of what we accomplished in the past few months: The summer started with a low blow when

There’s lots of news to share this month. First of all, we are in full swing in our negotiations with the Metropolitan Opera and will keep you posted. Separately, I’m pleased to announce that Local 802 has reached an agreement

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and jazz is a critical part of the history of both Local 802 and New York City. Jazz is truly one of America’s gifts to world music and Congress has even declared jazz to be

It was just over a year ago – on Jan. 20, 2017 – that Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States. Many of us have taken part in protests over the past 12 months about

As 2017 comes to a close, it’s a good time to reflect on Local 802’s accomplishments and challenges this past year. To begin our look back, let’s remember us at our best. Many of you came together with Local 802

As usual, there has been a lot of activity at Local 802 since my last report. First of all, I’m pleased to report that a majority of our endorsed candidates for City Council won their races in the NYC municipal

It’s gearing up to be a great summer at Local 802. I’m proud to announce two exciting new programs that have the potential to bring new work to our members. The first is our brand-new online referral directory called www.newyorkmusicians.com.

I hope everyone is enjoying the warmer weather and the beginning of a beautiful spring. There’s been a lot going on at Local 802 in the month since my last report, and I’d like to share all the news with

March is Women’s History Month, and this year we are kicking off a deep dive into our own gender demographics here at Local 802 in the hopes of starting to strategize how we can achieve a more equal balance between

I want to wish a Happy New Year to everyone. It’s hard to believe that another year has gone by and that so much has happened in our union and in our country. As we reflect on our accomplishments and

My report this month will be short because there’s really only one thing on our minds: the Nov. 8 election, which is just around the corner. In this issue, please see The Local 802 Endorsement Slate. As always, we do

I hope that everyone had a great summer. For me and Local 802, it was jam-packed with Broadway negotiations, the AFM convention and election endorsements. Those three topics are what I want to address in this month’s column. First, you

Our union is about to celebrate a milestone: the 100th AFM Convention of Delegates will happen later this month. It’s worth getting a refresher on our history, which can also be found on the AFM’s web site. In the mid-1800s,

By the time you read these words, our negotiating team will have met with the Broadway League a few times to exchange proposals and begin preliminary bargaining. I want our members to know that even though we would like to

I am pleased to be able to begin this report with some good news. The New York City Opera is alive again! After over two years in limbo, the company has new owners. A bankruptcy court has approved the group

As 2015 draws to a close, I want to start by acknowledging the service of our outgoing Recording Vice President John O’Connor. John started his music career as a folksinger, songwriter and recording artist, a phase of his career that

Has the digital age been good to musicians? That bombshell question was recently asked by the New York Times in its cover magazine story, “The Creative Apocalypse That Wasn’t,” written by Steven Johnson. The article received a lot of blowback

Summer is here and there’s a lot to report this month. First of all, our article in the May issue about the American Symphony Orchestra and Bard College went viral, attracting the most views of any article we’ve published in

May is Labor History Month, so it’s appropriate that I begin by talking about Local 802’s involvement in the rally for a $15 minimum wage that took place on April 15. This movement started in New York City in 2012

Let’s start out this month with three pieces of good news. First, an appreciation for Bob Dylan, who has been a member of Local 802 since 1961. Mr. Dylan was recently honored by the Grammy found­ation MusiCares as its person

As we say hello to a new year, it’s time to reflect on our challenges and successes from 2014. I would be remiss if I didn’t start by mentioning Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner of Staten Island.

Our jazz campaign got a major boost in mid-October, when New York’s City Council passed a resolution in support of our efforts. In recognizing Justice for Jazz Artists, members of City Council joined a growing number of voices calling for

I am writing this on Aug. 18, the afternoon after Local 802 and the Metropolitan Opera finally came to an accord at 5:45 a.m. These negotiations have been a long, arduous, and sometimes torturous journey. The outstanding issue was the

As spring turns into summer, let me give an update of Local 802 news and events. We continue to keep our focus on the musicians of the Metropolitan Opera as negotiations promise to be a challenge. At the final concert

The big news this month is the announcement by the Paul Taylor Dance Company that it will once again be performing with live music, starting with their 2015 season. After decades of performing to recorded music, the company has once

Greetings to all. The big news this month is that the musicians of the New York City Opera Orchestra are performing with special guests in a historic one-night concert at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 21 at City Center. This

We have a new mayor here in NYC, and I’d like to thank all of the Local 802 members and staff who helped support Bill de Blasio. We were an early endorser of Bill’s campaign, and we did so because

This month, we’re pleased to present in Allegro a story that’s stranger than fiction. It’s the story of a bronze plaque that Local 802 commissioned over 100 years ago from a well-known artist. The plaque was created to honor the

I’d like to begin this month’s column with applause for Broadway musicians, who create so much theatrical magic that they were recognized at this year’s Tony awards. It goes without saying that Broadway wouldn’t be Broadway without live music. Congratulations

As you can see from our cover story, our Justice for Jazz Artists Campaign recently entered new territory. Up until now, we’ve confined our protests to the sites of the various jazz clubs. But due to limited response from the

March is Women’s History Month and there are several features in this issue of Allegro that readers will find interesting, including an interview with Irene Breslaw on page 24. Ms. Breslaw will celebrate 37 years as Assistant Principal Violist with

  These days, It seems to be fashionable to bust unions. As many of you know, Michigan recently became the 24th so-called right-to-work state in this country. I say “so-called” because the label “right to work” was invented by union

Canned music has reared its ugly ahead again at Lincoln Center. In mid-October, we passed out leaflets in front of the Koch Theatre to inform the audience attending the traveling ballet revue “Stars of the 21st Century” that they are

ON THE WORLD STAGE: Musicians were well represented at the signing of the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances. From left: Alan Willaert (AFM vice president from Canada), Vince Trombetta (president of AFM Local 47), AFM president Ray Hair, Francis Gurry

New York Musical Theatre Festival does the right thing I am always happy to start my monthly report with good news. The New York Musical Theatre Festival (NYMF), a crucial incubator for new musical theatre in New York City, has

Say no to taped music! Musicians leafleted the March 13 performance of the Paul Taylor Dance Company, which now has the dubious distinction of being the forst resident company in one of Lincoln Center’s “big three” theatres to perform without

As we celebrate Black History Month, we also exhale on the New York City Opera negotiations. It’s time to move forward… February is Black History Month and we’re pleased to feature a cover story by our own jazz rep Todd

Pete Seeger Happy birthday to us all! As you read these words, Local 802 is just about to celebrate its 90th birthday in style at the Roseland Ballroom on Dec. 4. This isn’t just a party; it’s also a special

Thanks to help from our friends, we were able to win a Local 802 contract for a recent movie date. When everyone sticks together, we win… Musical director and pianist extraordinaire Bill Charlap (left) met up with Local 802’s Recording

Our live music campaign is more than “Priscilla” – it’s the big picture UNIONS COME TOGETHER! Above, Local 802 and AGMA join forces in the first-ever combined negotiating session with the New York City Opera. In the front row, from

French hornists from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra performing at a protest last year in front of their concert hall. Musicians fought back a vicious union busting campaign by management and won a contract without losing their union. Photo: Hart Hollman

“Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark” is set to open this month. Above, the orchestra is ready for opening night. Broadway musicians will soon be covered by a new agreement. A Broadway agreement is reached in principle – and it’s looking

A recent New York Times article on the “mournful coda” of the NYC music scene has caused a stir. Here’s how I feel about it… Let me begin my report with an apology. Last month, Allegro published a number of

Our new live music campaign is ready to roll here in New York City. But in Detroit, why doesn’t management value its musicians? As musicians, we already know about the joy and beauty of live music. It’s why we’re musicians

WEST COAST VISIT: Leslie Lashinsky, the secretary/treasurer of Local 47 (Los Angeles), recently visited the Local 802 Executive Board. Pictured in the front row, from left, are Tino Gagliardi, Leslie Lashinsky and Jay Blumenthal. In the back row, from left,

We’re heading off to the AFM Convention, which has a lot on its agenda. First item: we say no to a proposed dues increase. See full list of AFM resolutions and recommendations here. An important event is on the horizon:

As many members may know by now, our pension fund lost a lot of money in the stock market declines over the past two years. First, I want to remind you that everyone’s pension is protected by law and no

MEMBER PARTICIPATION WILL BE CRUCIAL TO UNION’S SUCCESS February is Black History Month, a time of observance and remembrance of the important events and people of African American descent. Let us all take the time to honor the contributions of

Now that I have been serving as president of Local 802 for almost three years, I’ve developed a few opinions about the state of our union. It’s easy to place the blame for our conflicts on the events of the

As I write, I have just returned from Norfolk, Virginia where I attended the annual conference of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians(ICSOM). This is the first year I have been able to attend and I think it

This fall, we will be entering a new election cycle at Local 802. I stepped forward in 2006 because I believed that this organization was on a wrong course. That is certainly not an opinion that is universally shared, but

Question: “Should Local 802 membership be limited to musicians who work under a certain number of union contracts, or should membership continue to be open to anyone who wants to join?” That was what we asked members this month in

2009 is an election year at Local 802. Later this year there will also be important local and municipal elections in New York and New Jersey. Elections are always important whether at the national level or within a union local

As I write this column, the economic downturn continues and the consequences of the recession are being felt, not only in the personal finances of all citizens, but also in the budgets of state and local governmental bodies. Here in

An historic election day is past. The United States has elected its first African-American president, Barack Obama, who won in decisive fashion, and Local 802 was part of the victory. Our new activist group — the Local 802 Power Boosters

A new organization has been in contact with some of our members with the goal of raising funds. I refer to the “Fareplay Legal Action Fund,” an organization in Santa Monica, California, which has undertaken the task of raising funds

I write this column in the aftermath of our June 11 membership meeting, at which charges were read against an officer. It is clear, at least in my opinion, that we are still dealing with the fallout of the Radio

UPDATEAs Allegro went to press, the producers of “Cry-Baby” withdrew their request for Special Situation status. See box below article. Last month Allegro ran an article about the Lincoln Center Theatre production of “South Pacific” currently performing with an orchestra of 30.

Solidarity means sticking together. President Mary Landolfi accepted a plaque of thanks and a soldarity award from the stagehands’ union at a solidarity party thrown by IATSE Local 1 on Feb. 9. Hundreds of union members from the Broadway community

I sit at my desk in December with the rush of the holiday season in full swing. The strike of IATSE Local 1, the first in its 121-year history, is over; that is a relief to everyone. A few statistics

There’s an old picture of my grandfather hanging on the wall of my office. He is holding his clarinet, a member of the house band in the Circle Theatre, Indianapolis, Indiana, circa 1920 — 26 pieces plus conductor. Those were

When Allegro last went to print, I was in the midst of attending the 97th AFM Convention in Las Vegas. Much of what must be reported about the convention is negative, but in spite of that fact, I think Local

BETTER MUSIC ED ABROAD? The following letter by Mary Landolfi was published in the New York Times on April 22 in response to a Times article about the choice of the new music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. To

As I sit in the office, February has just begun. The transition required by a new administration is well underway and I would like to report on the progress which has been made. After a hiatus of over a year,

Let me express my congratulations to all the winning candidates in our recent election, my gratitude to the membership for placing their confidence in me and my thanks to those members of the former administration who assisted in the transition

First implemented in the 1993 contract between Local 802 and the League of American Theatres and Producers, the Special Situations exception allows shows that qualify — under certain criteria — to utilize fewer than the agreed upon minimum for the

My statement to the members at the June 13 membership meeting: I want to report to you that on Tuesday, June 6 the Local 802 Executive Board – by a vote of 5 to 4 – passed a motion asking

BROADWAY Preparations for the 2007 Broadway negotiations are well underway. Recently, the Local 802 Executive Board approved a Broadway Community Initiative proposed by the Broadway Theatre Committee. The initiative will provide a training program for the Broadway delegates, which will

On Jan. 20, 2006, concerns regarding the personal use of the union’s credit card were brought to the attention of the Local 802 Executive Board. The board immediately addressed the issue and, after consulting with 802 Controller Matt Milne and

LOCAL 802’S MISSION STATEMENT We are the Associated Musicians of Greater New York, American Federation of Musicians Local 802, one of the largest local unions of professional musicians in the world. We unite to fight for the common interests of

Mayor: Mike Bloomberg Mayor Bloomberg has a demonstrable record on the arts and his administration has proven to be one of the most supportive of the arts community in decades. His administration lobbied successfully to create tax incentives for the

Delegates to the AFM Convention voted unanimously to adopt 802’s resolution calling on the AFM to take whatever steps necessary to ban the virtual orchestra machine. The resolution directs the AFM to commit whatever resources necessary to wage the national

Local 802 and AFM Local 47 (Los Angeles) recently teamed up to fight the use of the virtual orchestra machine at the Nederlander’s Pantages Theatre in L.A. At the center of the fight is Realtime Music Solutions, the company that

As previously reported, on Sept. 30, the Special Situations Committee convened to hear the first case under the new terms of the Broadway agreement. The request for consideration of Special Situation Status came from the producers of the musical “All

On Dec. 13, Local 802 testified on behalf of the Hudson Yards Affordable Housing Committee before the New York City Council. As Allegro went to press, the council was holding hearings on the redevelopment of the Far West Side of

THE EVOLUTION OF SPECIAL SITUATIONS First implemented in the 1993 contract between Local 802 and the League of American Theatres and Producers, the Special Situations exception allows shows that qualify — under certain criteria — to utilize fewer than the

WHY ORGANIZE? For several decades, as union membership declined as a share of the American workforce, union leaders refused to acknowledge the problem. Union density, the percentage of the workforce that is unionized, was at its highest in the post

Six months have passed since the new Local 802 administration was elected. The following is an overview of what we’ve accomplished so far — and the road ahead. Last October, members of Local 802 voted to raise their own dues.

Did you ever think you’d see the day when a machine designed to eliminate live music, and ultimately jobs, would try to pass itself off as the injured party? Well, my friends, that day has arrived. On March 4, approximately

In the last issue, I promised to focus this report on some of the changes and external priorities of the new administration. The following remarks, which I delivered at the Jan. 6 Installation Ceremony, outline the beginning of a new

Printed at right is the notification distributed by the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund regarding pension benefits cuts that will become effective Jan. 1, 2004. The trustees of the fund took these actions, at the recommendation of

The membership meeting to be held on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 3 p.m. in the Club Room will consider six bylaw amendments. One was submitted by the Local 802 Executive Board and five were submitted by Local 802 members, with

The AFM’s 95th convention is scheduled to be held at the Riviera Hotel in Las Vegas on June 23-25. As always a number of bylaw modifications are being proposed. Eighteen of these amendments were submitted by the International Executive Board

There is no more important word in a union member’s vocabulary than “solidarity.” It speaks to everything we stand for as union members and as working people. Solidarity is the only viable defense for those without power, wealth, or position.

On Jan. 13, the AFM convened a meeting in Chicago to address issues that have arisen over symphonic recordings, radio broadcasts, television broadcasts, internet activity and the appropriate payment of recorded archival material that may be released on a commercial

On Sept. 3, a bankruptcy judge rejected a deal for the German media giant Bertlesmann to buy the assets of the bankrupt Web site Napster, claiming that the two managements were too cozy. Napster may be saved yet by an

The second Unity Conference took place Aug. 14-18 in Ottawa, Canada. A full report on its activities, as reported by Assistant Director and Concert Supervisor David Lennon, can be found here. The first Unity Conference was held in Las Vegas

The rapid concentration that has been taking place in radio station ownership over the past several years has profound implications for listeners, record companies, and recording and concertizing musicians. A fair amount of media attention has been given to this

Due to the hit-or-miss nature of Local 802 records and an absence of specific information in Allegro articles prior to 1983, the background and history of theatre minimums has been difficult to obtain with any accuracy. However, by piecing together

The decision of the arbitrator in the AFM & EP Fund deadlock arbitration (see the President’s Report in the July/August 2001 Allegro and the article in the September 2001 issue) is in – and, unhappily, it is a classic arbitration

Over the past several years much has been written and discussed about the power music has to affect our physical and mental processes. Most of the discussion has centered around the education system – but in the days following Sept.

On Sept. 11 and 12, the Board of Trustees of the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund had scheduled one of its three annual meetings, this one at the Fund offices at One Penn Plaza at 34th and

The AFM Pamphlet B Touring Theatrical Agreement expires on August 31. Its original term was April 11, 1999, through March 31, 2001, but it was extended for a five-month period by mutual agreement of the parties, the AFM and the

In March, I reported on the financial difficulties being experienced by the Local 802 Health Benefits Plan. Increased insurance premium costs (which rose by a total of $780,000 during the 18 months ending June 30, 2000) and greater payments for

Local 802’s involvement with tenant issues goes back to the beginning of the John Glasel administration in 1983. Both John and Judy West, then the union’s Public Relations/Legislative Director, understood that, for the labor movement to realize its full potential,

January 1 marked the beginning of a new three-year term of office for this administration, a period which promises some of the most difficult challenges the union has yet faced. A term of this length, of course, allows most of

Among the immediate priorities of John Glasel’s administration, when it took office in 1983, was to develop strategies and tactics to combat the ongoing exploitation of musicians working in the jazz field, and to bring economic dignity to this area

When we took office nearly eight years ago, one priority we hoped to address was the proliferation of recording engagements that were taking place without benefit of union contract. Extensive discussion with the musicians doing the work, and with officers

In my report last November, I mentioned that the local was beginning a process of long-term strategic planning. It is to be hoped that this will give us a better understanding of our place in the entertainment industry and the

The last two issues of Allegro have contained letters from Canadian AFM and local officers which addressed the subject of so-called runaway film scoring. The writers told of their experience with this phenomenon, and the steps that have been taken

The ability to freely express ideas and opinions has been an essential part of the U.S. labor movement’s struggles since its beginnings more than 100 years ago. Trade unionists were among the first to engage in free speech battles and

Elsewhere in this issue you will find the text of the agreement between Local 802 and B.V. Theatrical Ventures, Inc. (Disney) settling disputes over the move of Beauty and the Beast from the Palace Theatre to the Lunt-Fontanne. I believe

The position of designated – or house – contractor on Broadway is one of divided allegiance and uncertain authority. In most instances the designated contractor was not the hiring agent for the show, yet most of the ongoing, day-to-day problems