Local 802 president David Lennon was elected to the AFM’s International Executive Board at the AFM’s 96th Convention in July. Receiving the highest vote of twelve non-incumbent candidates, his election as a first-term local union president to the IEB is unprecedented.

This is the first time in almost a decade that Local 802 has been represented on the IEB. Former 802 president Bill Moriarity served on the board from 1995-97.

This is also the first time in decades that the two largest locals, 802 and 47 (Los Angeles), will hold seats concurrently.

The IEB is the policy making arm of the union. The board meets four times a year and has general supervision of all Federation matters.

Board members include the AFM’s president, two vice presidents, secretary-treasurer and five members at large.

Delegates to the 2005 AFM Convention re-elected Tom Lee as AFM president. Secretary-Treasurer Florence Nelson was narrowly defeated by Sam Folio; delegates honored Nelson with a resolution awarding her the title of Secretary-Treasurer Emerita (see article). Harold Bradley and Bobby Herriot retained their offices.

Besides Lennon, the other winners of seats on the IEB were Hal Espinosa, Ray Hair, Mark Jones and Joe Parente. Each is a president of an AFM local; Espinosa of Local 47 (Los Angeles), Hair of Local 72-147 (Dallas-Ft. Worth), Jones of Local 92 (Buffalo) and Parente of Local 77 (Philadelphia).

The convention took a major step forward in granting locals like 802 a more equitable voice. Currently, locals receive one vote for every 100 members when electing AFM officers and delegates. Delegates passed a motion allowing large locals to have up to 50 votes. Previously, the cap was 30. This means that Local 802 now has more of a say in these important elections.

The convention also upheld 802’s campaign against the virtual orchestra machine (see President’s Report) and took a stand against the war in Iraq (see article “Unions Call for End of War”).

Most significantly, the delegates unanimously adopted an emergency recommendation put forward by the Joint Law and Finance Committee, which removes the fees previously assessed on Special Payments and replaces them with a Federation work dues increase on front-end film, TV videotape, and radio-TV-commercial wages only. The Local 802 Executive Board has already voted to absorb the work dues increase, which will sunset in two years. 802 members will therefore not bear any increase in dues on electronic-media work.

The financial package also created a new electronic media special projects fund to be earmarked for special electronic media organizing and contract enforcement projects. The specific application of funds shall be decided jointly by rank-and-file representatives of the recording musicians and the IEB.

In the next issue of Allegro, President Lennon will review the full details of the package, along with other convention highlights.

Members who wish to read a synopsis of the adopted resolutions from the conference can check out www.AFMconvention.org or see the September issue of International Musician.