WAR: WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?

March 20 is the sixth anniversary of the start of the war in Iraq. Taxpayers in New York have paid $58.9 billion for total Iraq war spending approved to date.

For the same amount of money, the following could have been provided:

• 896,362 music and arts teachers for one year or
• 10,854,125 people with health care for one year or
• 110,193,238 homes with renewable electricity for one year or
• 1,135,968 public safety officers for one year or
• 9,604,661 scholarships for university students for one year or
• 334,576 affordable housing units or
• 20,567,488 children with health care for one year or
• 6,705,863 Head Start places for children for one year or
• 681,713 elementary school teachers for one year or
• 884,574 port container inspectors for one year.

Source: www.EconomicPriorities.org

INVESTING IN OUR MEMBERS

When a wedding planner needs to hire musicians, they should be union musicians! Local 802 just spent $2,000 to buy an ad in the upcoming spring/summer issue of Manhattan Bride magazine, advertising our music referral service. For more information, see www.NYCLiveMusic.com. It’s a one-stop Web site to hire Local 802 musicians.

REHEARSALS, AUDITIONS EARN BROADWAY HEALTH BENEFITS

If you are an audition or rehearsal musician for a Broadway show, you are entitled to health benefits through Local 802’s Broadway agreement. This is true even if your paycheck comes from a casting agency rather than a Broadway producer. For more information, contact Joy Portugal at (212) 245-4802, ext. 113 or Jportugal@Local802afm.org.

CESAR CHAVEZ DAY

March 31 would have been the 81st birthday of Cesar Chavez, the visionary founder of the Farmworkers Union and defender of human rights. For information about activities and how to get involved, see www.ChavezFoundation.org or www.ufw.org. 

PLAY BALL!

Interested in playing softball? The Local 802 team needs you. Games take place in Central Park at noon on Mondays. Play is modified fast pitch and the season runs April through August. If you are interested or know anyone who might be, please contact Clint Sharman (917-440-5566 or clint@TromboneMan.com) or Wayne du Maine (917-721-9087 or wdumaine@mac.com).

DO YOU QUALIFY FOR A REIMBURSEMENT?

If you played union jobs in the past six months but didn’t qualify for the union’s health plan, you may be eligible to receive some of this money back as a reimbursement. Restrictions apply. You must contact the union every six months, by March 31 and Sept. 30 of each year. For more information, contact the Local 802 Health Department at (212) 245-4802 and ask about the Premium Reimbursement Plan.