Reconvened at 11:11 am: I made it back just in time for the group photo.
Local 47 point of personal privilege: all of us should thank a gentlemen who's been president of his local since 1996 and on the IEB since 2005; Joe Parente. What you've done for this union, your local, and all of us. (Backstory is that Parente lost his re-election bid for president in Philly and is leaving the IEB, although I haven't been told why.)
Longest standing ovation so far. Local 802 delegation remained seated (and not for the first time).
Syracuse delegate: proposes to make Parente IEB member emeritus; adopted by unanimous voice vote.
Ray thanked Joe.
257 PPP: Local will donate $1,000 to BSO musicians
Local 17; local will donate $500 to BSO musicians
Tretick: want to add Andre Previn to memorial list.
Local 1000: donate $150 to BSO musicians; will also ask our members to contribute.
Local 72-147: Local ExBoard wishes to pledge $1,500 to Baltimore local.
ROPA; musicians of Houston Grand Opera and Ballet want to contribute $200 to BSO musicians
Smolik St. Louis: board has voted to give $500 to BSO musicians and $500 to Baltimore local
John Michael Smith ROPA: donate $250 to BSO musicians and encourage our musicians to join ICSOM Call to Action.
Atlanta: local would like to donate $1,000 to Baltimore Local.
Local 555 Puerto Rico: local donate $500 to BSO musicians, and will donate $100 personally.
Local 500: Local has challenged North Carolina Symphony with a matching donation to BSO musicians.
Local 450: one of the smallest Locals, but we can donate $100 to BSO musicians
Local 58 Ft Wayne: $200 to BSO musicians
Tremarello 8: donate $500 to Baltimore local
Hess Lancaster: $200 to BSO musicians
Wells 189: small local, $100 to BSO musicians
Local 24 Akron: $150 to BSO musicians
Local 3: pending board approval, $1,000 to BSO musicians
Local 7 Orange County; $500 to BSO musicians, $500 to local, also personal donation
Meredith Snow ICSOM: thank all the delegate for their generosity to BSO musicians. Ask your permission to introduce an emergency resolution in support of BSO musicians. Ray asked if he could ask Deacon John Moore to present first. Meredith agreed.
Ray called Deacon John to dais. Sang "This May Only Be A Dream." Wonderfully sung. Standing ovation.
Deacon John said he'd been continuous AFM member since 1958. All my life I wanted to help other musicians not to have a day job; to show the young musicians how to make money. More to this than just playing gigs. If you want to make it, you have to diversity. AFM has taught me the most valuable lesson; how to treat other musicians ethically. All about how you treat each other and open doors for other people. I've truly been blessed to be a member. Don't plan to retire.
Eddie Bayens Law: not a culture in the world that doesn't have music. Now back to the dirty business. Law committee has considered Recommendation 11; NLRB has indicated some discomfort with existing Unfair List language. Law has come up with substitute recommendation.
Discussion. none. Adopted by voice vote. (Interestingly, no discussion as to what the NLRB's discomfort actually was).
Bayens: Often Recommendations and Resolutions deal with the same subject matter. Having looked at Rec 12 and Res 3 and 6, sufficient commonality that Law and Finance suggests a Package Resolution No. 1 (AFM bargain multiple-local productions). Touring business has been taken over by large corporations who are taking over all aspects of touring productions, and often play one local against another local. (Essentially gives IEB authority to negotiate or promulgate agreements covering such productions). Interestingly, the new section proposed would expire in 2022 unless renewed by 2022 Convention.
Brad Eggen addressed the work dues suggested, which would be 3.25%, allocated 2% to the Local and the rest to the AFM.
Discussion. Michael Moore Atlanta: question; does that mean producers would send work dues to AFM?
Ray; in past, in Pamphlet B, that's how it worked.
Mark Pinto Boston: in favor, urge future IEB to keep such agreements as simple as possible; to avoid tiered scales. The pile of money is huge in this field; no need for race to bottom.
McCosh Calgary: amend to add "better" before "conditions" in line 12.
Ray: because it's one word, won't need written copy.
Point of inquiry: are amendments permitted to package resolutions according to standing rules? (Good point.) (Consultation on dais.) Ray agrees; does not recognize amendment.
Local 149: technical pint re consistency with current bylaw. Ray says this establishes a new genre of touring agreement; doesn't involve Pamphlet B tours. Example is current Hugh Jackman tour.
Local 367: we have a universe of AFM agreements. This package references a new sub-set of agreements.
TMA: as author of Resolution 3, I support this package resolution. Support concept of one high rate, rather than tiered system. Ticket prices are high in all markets.
Pomeroy IEB: to clarify. Resolution 6 came from 257, want to clarify that consolidation does not interfere with intent.
Local 99: I did like in original Res 6 that S/T would create a new process.
Ray: comments need to be on the package. We hear your concerns and, as we begin to implement, we'll certainly keep them in mind.
Local 149: I hope Canadian dates generate revenue to Canadian pension fund.
Ray: Agree.
Package Resolution No. 1 adopted on voice vote.
Brad Eggen, Finance: Resolution No. 14 (Proposed Automatic multi-local rebates). (Would eliminate requirement that members need to apply for multi-local per cap rebates.) Brad described the history of discussion around multi-local rebates to members; should members have to pay multiple per caps? Over time, the compromise was that members of three or more locals, they would get rebates of the excess per caps paid. On the face of it, this resolution seems like a good idea, but it's a procedural nightmare. Committee recommendation is that resolution be defeated.
Pinto Boston: seems in this day and age: I can go to the AFM database now and see who's a member where.
Me: If the AFM doesn't have a new database that can handle this, it needs a new database.
ROPA: supports the Resolution.
Local 47: undue burden on local.
Buckley Jacksonville. I was present when the rebate system came in. We're in a new century, and I suggest we upgrade our bylaws to enter the new century. Amendment to strike all of th language in Section 16, substitute "no member shall be required to pay more than one AFM per capita."
Local 815 point of order: amendment not in order; a substantive change not allowed. needs to be brought as a separate motion. Although I'd like to see this amendment happen.
Ray; our parliamentarian agrees. Amendment is out of order.
Buckley: I'd like to have my objection to ruling of parliamentarian as part of the record.
Local 14: Database not able to handle this, especially requirement for length of membership for eligibility for rebate.
Local 65-699 Houston: Believe that onus of asking for rebate should be on the member, not on ST.
Local 7: I sympathize with spirit of this, but opposed to anything that encourages members to be more asleep at the switch than they currently are.
Ray introduced Ken Shirk to speak:
Shirk: just want to point out that members are entitled to the rebate; not a question of that. They just need to ask for it. Resolution would require considerable preparation; locals don't send us a list of members who pay their dues. Sometimes locals report more or less members than actually pay dues. Quality of info is only as good as what the Locals report. Under this, we could be rebating dues to people who hadn't actually paid dues. Un-manageable resolution. (Sadly, but not surprisingly, these are good points. Sadly, so was mine.)
Resolution 14 reported unfavorably; defeated on voice vote.
Ray introduced Lovie Smith-Wright. Gave report of Diversity Committee. Talked about Boston Symphony pay equity case; other presentations made by/to Diversity Committee.
Local 7: Local board member (name I missed) made a personal contribution of $500 to BSO musicians.
IM committee report: we met with Jay as well as owner and staff of Bentley-Hall, Bob Popick attended as guest (former owner of Bentley-Hall). IM had $304K loss last year, down from previous years. Committee thinks that IM is in good shape and in good hands.
Tammy Kirk chair Good and Welfare: Substitute Recommendation No. 5 (Annual Report electronic publishing).
This got a little complicated. Intent was that in non-convention years, report would only be published electronically. Our concern was that original language was not clear. In consultation with counsel, we came up with new language. Report is favorable on Substitute.
No debate; adopted by voice vote.
Kirk: Substitute Recommendation No. 7 (Locals include members dues-objectors on roster reports). Intent was to include non-member agency fee payers on rosters; only applicable in non-right-to-work states. Not applicable in Canada.
Laura Ross Nashville: in original language, shouldn't there be a comma after a/k/a in Line 6.
Ray; yes.
adopted on voice vote.
Tammy Kirk TEMPO chair. Presented TEMPO award to Local 10-208; third-highest participation in TEMPO program. To Local 257, second highest participation. Local 6; highest contribution level in AFM. Local 4; highest membership in TEMPO Signature program.
Terry Jares: Local 10-208 board of directors donates to BSO musicians $2,500 to Local and $2,500 to musicians.
Ray: tomorrow morning we'll have an update on contributions.
Candy Lammers, chair of TEMPO committee; announced fire sale on remaining TEMPO shirts. And New England Conference would like to pledge $500 to BSO musicians.
Martin Andersen New Jersey; New Jersey Symphony will contribute $1,000 to BSO musicians, pending orchestra meeting.
Local 154 Colorado Springs: $150 to BSO musicians.
Pat Hollenbeck, Boston Local: PPP: on flight here, life lessons "you've never seen a cat's skeleton in a tree." We are the cat and the pension fund is the tree. Lawyer who spoke to retiree representation gave crystal-clear presentation. We need to educate Congress and constituents. Time to stop talking and acting. I'm going to contribute a week's pay to TEMPO to make this possible.
Ray called break at 12: 58 pm PDT.
Comments