Allegro
Currently Browsing: July, 2006
Slate Voting is Back
Members Also Call for Financial Accountability
See below article for full text of adopted bylaw resolutions. Members voted to reinstate slate voting and to increase financial accountability for officers and employees, in a packed membership meeting on June 13. Slate voting – or “ticket voting” –
President’s Report
What’s Really Going On Here?
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
Members and Executive Board Act to Safeguard Local 802
Recording Vice-President's Report
On Tuesday, June 13, more than 300 members attended a regular Local 802 membership meeting in a remarkable display of union democracy. Members stayed for nearly three hours — some standing during most of that time — to ensure that
Union Collects Big Money for Members
Money for musicians. That’s one reason Local 802 exists: to make sure that you get your fair share. In 2005, the union collected at least half a million dollars for musicians – and the figures are still coming in, promising
The Return of the Pink Pamphlet
Frank Lindquist It started a few seasons ago as an experiment. How could Local 802 facilitate negotiations with the many commercial producers of Off Broadway musicals? Every new contract covered the same basic issues over and over with each new
Jazz Musicians Win New Contract
Jazz musicians have muscle! Musicians in the Jazz at Lincoln Center orchestras have ratified a new five-year contract. The agreement covers both the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (LCJO) and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (ALJO). This year’s negotiations proved that musicians
Need Referrals? Our New Site Can Help!
Local 802 is pleased to announce the launch of a new Web site devoted exclusively to the union’s referral service, at www.NYCLiveMusic.com. This site is for members of the public who are looking to hire professional musicians, mainly for single
Abba Bogin, Honored Bohemian
Honor Roll
The Bohemians, one of the premier musicians’ clubs in the world, celebrated 802 honor member, pianist and conductor Abba Bogin on May 8 at its annual gala dinner. Bogin, who is currently the club’s president, told Allegro that he was,
A Fair Shake for Folkies
Organizing Matters
Folk concerts are union gigs? They should be and they are! In February, AFM Local 1000, the federation’s only non-geographical local, asked 802’s Executive Board for permission to negotiate with the Pine Woods Folk Club to cover the venue’s main
LABOR AGAINST THE WAR
Photo Section
No War! Local 802 musicians and staff marched with thousands of others on April 29. Allegro asked musicians why they marched against the war; check out their answers. Photos by Joy Portugal. I almost never miss a peace rally or
Take Back Our Country
Guest Commentary
The Working Families Party and our supporters have both an opportunity and a challenge in front of us, both unmatched in the party’s history. I’ll discuss these in a moment. But first I want to talk about our responsibility. We
Why Can Musicians Strike – But Not Firefighters?
802 Legal Corner
When Congress formulated the National Labor Relations Act in 1935, a huge category of employees was unfortunately omitted from coverage: public sector employees. In New York State, until the Taylor Law was enacted in 1967, public sector employees were not
The Workers’ Warrior
A Lifetime Activist Gets the SpotlightMusical Lives, Musical Stories
How do you sum up a life of 89 years – especially a life as rich as activist Julius Margolin? It’s almost an impossible task, but a new film about Margolin is up to it. “A Union Man: The Life
A Trumpeter’s Tale
Leo Ball: The Man Behind the HornMusical Lives, Musical Stories
Leo Ball has been a familiar face around the music world of both coasts for many years, and at the offices of Local 802 since 1990. He has interviewed many musicians for Allegro, including Joe Bennett, Chris Griffin, Marty Napoleon,
When Helping Hurts
Musicians' Assistance Program
We all want to be loving and supportive to friends or family members in times of need. This would be a pretty cold world if we weren’t willing to help each other out when the going gets tough. Constantly having
The Musicians’ Voice
The Musicians’ Voice is an open forum for discussion about the state of union affairs. The views expressed here do not express the views of Local 802. Letters must be 300 words or less. Send them to Allegro, c/o Local
Legislative Update
LOCAL 802 ENDORSEMENTS Local 802 has endorsed Eliot Spitzer for governor, Andrew Cuomo for attorney general, Hillary Clinton for senator and Alan Hevesi for controller. This election year is very important: please register and vote! You must register no less
Grievance Corner
“Chef’s Theatre.” Local 802 counsel Harvey Mars negotiated a settlement with Marty Bell, the producer of “Chef’s Theatre: A Musical Feast,” an Off Broadway production that appeared at the Supper Club. The production is currently on hiatus because of a
Membership Alert
If you’ve been called for a gig in Key West, watch out. Key West is home to two orchestras. One, Key West Pops, works under local engagement contracts. The other, Key West Symphony, outsources musicians from across the country, primarily
Executive Board Minutes
March 7, 2006 -- June 6, 2006
TUESDAY, MARCH 7, 2006 Meeting called to order at 11:30 a.m. Present: President Lennon, Financial Vice President Blumenthal, Recording Vice President Dennison, Executive Board members Babich, Gagliardi, Landolfi, Shankin, Weiss, Whitaker, Assistant to the President Delia and Jazz Advisory Committee
Breaktime
Breaktime is a new feature in Allegro. E-mail your comments to Allegro editor Mikael Elsila at melsila@local802afm.org. Click here to download crossword puzzle blank Sight-Singing Challenge ANSWERS: Click here to download crossword puzzle answers Answer to Sight-sing Challenge:“Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”
Bill Crow’s Band Room
When record producer George Avakian assisted the New Orleans Jazz Club in producing the first New Orleans Jazz Festival in October 1955, where he made the world’s first recordings at a jazz festival for Columbia Records, he was ceremoniously given