Another Phoenix situation

A memo from the officers of AFM Local 586 (Phoenix) to the musicians of the Phoenix Symphony has been doing the rounds:

Local 586 has urged Maryellen Gleason [Phoenix Symphony CEO] and Jay Good to either cancel May auditions or to notify each candidate of the possibility auditions may either be cancelled or no one hired, given the current fiscal situation. To date, this has not been done. It is patently unfair to allow individuals to make plane reservations and travel plans under these circumstances.

There have been concerns and questions from the Orchestra as to whether the Association can be compelled to cancel May auditions. Local 586 has spoken with the AFM's SSD negotiator, Nathan Kahn, and we have learned it is not possible for the Union to officially stop auditions should the Symphony be prepared to proceed in spite of and in the face of the current monetary situation. In fact, should the auditions proceed as management has scheduled them, the Audition Committee should fully take part, in keeping with the terms of the current Master Orchestra Agreement.

However, the placement of advisory notices to possible candidates for auditions via the Orchestra-I website, ROPA site, the afmobserver blog, polyphonic.org, Adaptistration, the AFM's International Musician and any other media venue that would be helpful in getting the word out to the orchestral community is certainly appropriate under these circumstances.

Fraternally yours,
Madelyn & Jim
Secretary-Treasurer& President
AFM Local 586

This is the first time I've seen anything like this in my 35 years in the business. I wonder if the AFM should begin asking orchestras to escrow money to refund musicians those nasty non-refundable airfares in case the audition (or the orchestra) is canceled. After all, most orchestras now require applicants to send in a deposit to ensure their attendance. It seems that turnabout would be fair play.

(Update: the auditions in question have now been canceled, according to Drew McManus at Adaptistration. Bruce Hemb, a freelance hornist in the Phoenix area who is also a blogger, has more on the situation.)

Comments

[Disillusioned Dizzy]

eeL moT TALKS ABOUT "MIKE".

WHO THE HELL IS MIKE?

[eeL F moT]

Sorry Chuck, I'm not Marky. Local officers and IEB members all over the Federation play jobs that "steals work from the RandF." Some officers and IEB members even act as contractors. I don't hear any outrage from you about this.
You're right, Downbeat, I mean Tom does have alot more to look after. I mean he has to repay all of Canada and especially Montreal for their loyalty at the Convention, he has to make sure that performance rights are secured in South Africa, that Billy gets his pension.....
Ron, which alter ego are you?

[anotherrecordingmusician]

Tom Lee is the president of the entire federation, not the president of a single Local. Tom Lee has far mroe to answer for and to take care of on a daily basis than does Trombetta.

In LA we have a president working four days a week but being paid for five. He'll spend 325,000+ paying scab labor to rebuild our auditorium, will no doubt spend thousands on his own toilet, but won't spend the fraction o that money it will take to give the members a usable studio for the demos.

We have a Secretary stealing work from the Rank and File within the jurisdiction she's paid for, with the board giving her permission.

I knew there would be some schlub on here to make excuses for them. No doubt it's an LA RMAer, since anyone with any ethics outside the troupe would find the LA Officers conduct inexcusable. Is that you marky?

[eeL F moT]

When the office's of the AFM in NY were remodelled several years ago under Steve Young while Tom was Treasurer, was that all done Union? How about the West Coast offices? Tom frequently flies non-Union airlines, probably shops at Walmart on occassion, stays at non-Union hotels and I could probably go on and on.

Vince is in his office more than Tom is in his. Tom makes time for every award show, every party and travels to talk to anyone on the AFM dime yet still doesn't have a place to live in NY. Talk to any staffer at 1501 Broadway and ask them how many days a month Tom makes it into the office.

Issues in LA? What issues? The troubles the musicians in LA have are with the AFM not the Local. Maybe Tom should meet with the membership every year like is mandated in the by-laws.

You can have as many aliases as you like, or as many ghost writers as you like but your intense hatred for anything LA or RMA still shows through.

[A Friendly Musician]

OK, eeL F moT, you backwards kind of guy :-), let's change the subject. No RMA...

It's recently come out that newly minted Local 47 President Vince Trombetta only works 4 days a week, taking Wednesdays off to make money on the side teaching privately. This, despite receiving a full-time salary for what was expected to be full-time employment. There is no evidence that he is working extra hours on the other four days to make up for the lost time.

Anybody think this is kosher? Is anyone ready to defend the idea that the AFM's largest local doesn't deserve a full-time president, especially given all the issues going on in LA?

Let's add to that the fact that Vince amazingly approved and managed the expenditure of over $300,000 of union funds to hire a scab, non-union construction firm to renovate the union facilities. The defense, apparently was that they were the cheapest bid. I have to wonder how this would go down if the shoe was on the other foot and major motion picture studios started hiring non-union musicians on the cheap and defended their practice by saying that those musician cost less than union musicians. Hmm... By this reasoning, unions and their workers could be replaced wholesale. After all, if unions aren't even willing to pay for union workers, why should anyone else?

Opinions, anyone?

[eeL F moT]

Funny how unless there is an RMA bashing subject here, this board gets no play. Pension going down the tubes, SSD being replaced, Phoenix symphony.... No play. 500 back and forths between Chuck and Tom patting each other on the back using buzz words like "Knowing," PMG, Sazar, lawsuit.... Then we have Mike and Dennis backing eachother with their versions of the facts. What a sad world we live in where a Union fights its own and this is the only way they can do battle. I'm sure Chuck, Tom and Mike will profess, "not me." It doesn't matter. The words used are the ilk and sentiment of the deniers. Pathetic.

[Robert Levine]

I don't understand... it's not clear, is there concrete information that management has a real plan to cancel or not hire? If so, then yeah, fire away, it's very reprehensible. Otherwise, it's bizarre that they would send this out, sabotaging auditions based on a "possibility". Since when do employees take the initiative to enforce a hiring freeze? Even if musicians think it's a good idea, isn't it management's job to decide if it can or can't afford to fill vacant positions?

It's certainly an odd situation. As I understand it, the Local's concern is that musicians might be spending lots of money to buy plane tickets for an audition that could well be canceled. It's not about enforcing a hiring freeze.

You're right; it is management's job to decide if it can afford to fill vacancies. It's the union's job to protect musicians from being jerked around by managements.

[Anonymous]

"Local 586 has urged Maryellen Gleason [Phoenix Symphony CEO] and Jay Good to either cancel May auditions or to notify each candidate of the possibility auditions may either be cancelled or no one hired, given the current fiscal situation."

I don't understand... it's not clear, is there concrete information that management has a real plan to cancel or not hire?

If so, then yeah, fire away, it's very reprehensible. Otherwise, it's bizarre that they would send this out, sabotaging auditions based on a "possibility". Since when do employees take the initiative to enforce a hiring freeze? Even if musicians think it's a good idea, isn't it management's job to decide if it can or can't afford to fill vacant positions?