Support from Tony award-winning actress Bernadette Peters was instrumental in Local 802 obtaining a contract covering 28 musicians at the Patchogue Theater for the Performing Arts on Nov. 17. Her performance was a charity event for St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, and featured Local 802 members.

Acting on information provided by an anonymous source, 802 Long Island Regional Director Bob Gulluscio and Business Rep Peter Voccola contacted Paul Allan, manager of the Gateway Playhouse (a Local 802 signatory employer) and the Patchogue Theater. They expressed concern that 802 members would be working without a contract. Allan insisted that St. Charles was the employer and the theater was simply four-walling the space, and was therefore not the responsible party.

Gulluscio and Voccola then contacted hospital representatives, informing both them and Allan that 802 members would be told not to work if an agreement could not be reached, and that Bernadette Peters would be notified of the situation. A spokesperson for Peters expressed concern that, without an agreement between Local 802 and the hospital, the performance would be put at risk. Shortly thereafter, the hospital contacted Gulluscio and Voccola to negotiate.

After hours of talks the hospital agreed to sign a single engagement agreement, paying single engagement scale and benefits for all the musicians. They also agreed to file the job through Local 802’s payroll service, Legit 802.

Local 802 extends its gratitude to Gateway contractor Dan Yeager, who assisted the union, and Bernadette Peters and her staff. Readers of Allegro are aware of the important boost Peters recently gave to 802’s live music campaign, in a segment she recorded for a promotional CD-ROM produced by the SFX Theatrical Group (see last month’s issue).