Allegro
Currently Browsing: March, 2009
Can You Spare $2 for the Arts?
The American Federation of Musicians is launching a very important initiative this month: the $2 political fundraising drive. The $2 drive is designed to strengthen AFM politically, allowing AFM to better fight for the protection and promotion of music and
A Healthy Contract
Musicians in NYC Ballet win major health provisions in new agreement
Photo by Paul Kolnik “I’d like to thank the committee for the new contract. I think everyone knows how important it is to have better benefits at this time. You guys did a great job!” — Bin Lu, violinist with
A System That’s Really Sick
The political economy of collective bargaining, part 2
How often does your boss cry “rising health costs” as a main reason for denying you a raise? So often that it seems normal? Well, that’s what employers would like workers to believe. But the truth is that employers take
Making Sense of it All
A brief economic explanation for rising health costs
Figure 6. Check out how health care premiums easily outpaced wages and inflation from 1999 to 2008. Back in 2000, premium rates for family coverage cost nearly $540 per month. By 2007, that figure soared near $1,010 per month (or $1,068
The Future’s In Our Hands
On the horizon: an expanded right to form unions
TIME TO ORGANIZE: Above, the SEIU’s Theo Jackson before he speaks at a rally supporting the Employee Free Choice Act in February. Photo by Kate Thomas/SEIU via flickr.com What time is it? Time to organize! And for the first time
President’s Report
A Wonderful Musician…and a Good Union Member, Too
He is a prince among men, a gentle and kind soul. I won’t identify him now, but he is the kind of player that has name recognition outside our membership. In other words, he has “star power.” He’s a little
What? You Haven’t Been Paid Yet?
The Concert Department has been receiving a distressing number of calls from musicians who have not been paid for various jobs worked in the past year. None of these jobs were filed under a Local 802 union contract. What can
Requiem: We’ll Remember You
Gerry Niewood and Coleman Mellet
Local 802 mourns the loss of two members who died on Continental Connection Flight 3407 near Buffalo on Feb. 12. Saxophonist Gerry Niewood, 65, and guitarist Coleman Mellett, 34, were both members of the Chuck Mangione band and the Radio
Touchdown! New York musicians a part of TV history
Who do you call when you need the best musicians to record for the biggest event on TV…with one week’s notice? Answer: New York City musicians. That’s exactly what happened for this year’s SuperBowl. According to reliable data, this year’s
Orchestra of St. Luke’s Sets the Pace — Again!
Photo by Carol Cohn The Orchestra of St. Luke’s and Local 802 have reached a tentative agreement over terms and conditions for their successor contract. In 2004, during their prior contract negotiation, St. Luke’s asked to do a four-year deal
Hotel Musicians Settle New Contract, with Perfect
Musicians have ratified the successor agreement to Local 802’s hotel contract. The agreement currently covers more than 40 musicians who perform in more than a dozen Manhattan hotels, and is the standard for all other steady work taking place within
“I Can Deduct CD Production, Right?”
Website only bonus story
The following article first appeared in the February 2007 edition of International Musician, the official newspaper of the American Federation of Musicians. Recently, there has been an explosion in independent CD recordings, often made at a musician’s own expense on
Fighting to Save the Arts
Recording Vice President's Report
On Feb. 4, I and some 25 other Local 802 members and representatives of arts organizations traveled to Albany to urge changes in Gov. Paterson’s proposed state budget. I spoke before a joint Assembly and Senate committee on the arts
Meeting of the Minds
Much food for thought at membership meeting
It wasn’t official, but the Feb. 11 membership meeting stirred up vigorous debate and put out a lot of food for thought. The crowd was just a handful short of quorum — and indeed, the subject of quorum was one
The Pen is Mightier than the Sword
New law offers promise of protection against unequal pay
They say the pen is mightier than the sword. President Obama has proven that this old adage is still true when he signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act at the end of January. This new law, the first signed by our new
The Musicians’ Voice
The Musicians’ Voice is an open forum for discussion about the state of union affairs. The letters published here do not necessarily express the views of Local 802. Letters must be 300 words or less. Send them to Allegro, c/o Local
Women’s History Month: ‘Down, Down Baby’
Music between the sexes, from double-dutch to hip-hop
There is music in the games of girls. Specifically, there are complicated rhythms in the double-dutch jumprope games of African-American girls. Just in time for Women’s History Month, ethnomusicologist Krya Gaunt gives us a brief tour of a musical genre
Tax Tips for Musicians
Each year, as the tax season approaches, Allegro publishes these updated tax tips provided by Local 802’s accounting firm, Gould, Kobrick & Schlapp P.C. OVERVIEW AND HIGHLIGHTS The following outline focuses on aspects of the tax law that specifically affect
Jazz is in the Air
Jazz musicians deserve benefits too! Recently, four jazz contracts have been renewed with Local 802. Musicians in the following groups continue to be covered under union agreements. The SULTANS OF SWING big band is led by the highly respected musician
Contract Negotiations Updates
INSIDE BROADWAY MUSICIANS WIN RENEWAL A new two-year agreement has been ratified for Inside Broadway, a nonprofit entity that presents theatre to school-age children. In the new agreement, the wages are frozen for the first year and increase by 3
Executive Board Minutes
January 6, 2009 - January 13, 2009
TUESDAY, JANUARY 6, 2009 Meeting called to order at 12:30 p.m. Present: President Landolfi, Recording Vice President Dennison, Financial Vice President Blumenthal, Executive Board members Fein, Giannini, Johansen, Norrell, Rizzo, Schwartz and Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens. Member Marc Ribot
Breaktime Answers
SIGHT-SINGING ANSWER:“With a Little Help From My Friends” (The Beatles) CROSSWORD ANSWERS Across 1- Movie actress Theda BARA 5- County ____ SEAT 9- Flood SPATE 14- Persia after 1935 IRAN 15- Bassist Walter PAGE 16- Reads avidly PORES 17- Set aside
Bill Crow’s Band Room
Thom Pastor, who is the secretary-treasurer of AFM Local 369 (Las Vegas), spent some time in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s playing lead alto on Si Zentner’s band. One New Year’s Eve they were playing at the Sahara. A