Allegro

Executive Board Minutes

October 7, 2008 - October 28, 2008

Volume CVIII, No. 12December, 2008

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2008

Meeting called to order at 11:05 a.m. Present: President Landolfi, Recording Vice President Dennison, Financial Vice President Blumenthal, Executive Board members Fein, Giannini, Rizzo Schwartz and Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens.

Recording Vice President Dennison distributed the minutes of October 2, 2008. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the minutes as amended.

Board member Burridge present at 11:10 a.m. Landolfi reported on a meeting with the League of American Theatres and Producers and Disney Theatricals regarding a potential proposal for the promotional use of material from Broadway rehearsals and performances.

Landolfi reported on a meeting that took place on Monday, October 6, 2008 that included composers, studio managers and recording engineers regarding the future of recording work in New York City. Also in attendance were Recording Vice President Dennison, Board members Schaffner and Schwartz and Assistant to the President LeFevre. Discussion held

Motion made and carried unanimously that Local 802 continue its campaign to keep Legacy Studios from closing.

Local 802 Counsel Mars present. Dennison distributed charges filed against officers Landolfi and Schaffner by member David Finck. Discussion held. Motion made to dismiss the charges as untimely. Opposed: Burridge and Schwartz.

Mars excused. Board member Fein reported on volunteer phone banking activity at Local 802 in support of Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the expenditure of $225 from TEMPO 802 to cover any expenses incurred in the phone banking activities.

Landolfi reported on a meeting with two members of the “WonderPets!” orchestra. Discussion held.

Blumenthal distributed a letter from Morgan Stanley regarding investment policy.

Meeting adjourned at 1:10 p.m.


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2008

Meeting called to order at 11:15 a.m. Present: President Landolfi, Recording Vice President Dennison, Financial Vice President Blumenthal, Executive Board members Burridge, Fein, Giannini, Johansen, Norrell, Rizzo, Schaffner and Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens 

Recording Vice President Dennison distributed the minutes of October 7, 2008. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the minutes as amended.

Landolfi reported on a planned meeting of the Broadway Theatre Committee and distributed a proposal from the League regarding the upcoming production of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.” Discussion held.

Financial Vice President Blumenthal reported that he had received a request for a leave of absence from a long-serving staff member under the terms of the Family and Medical Leave Act.

Dennison requested that Local 802 become a co-sponsor along with the AFM for a series of events in 2008 and 2009 sponsored by the Future of Music Coalition at a cost of $1, 000.Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the request.

Public Relations and Political Action Director Paul Molloy appeared before the Board and presented a list of proposed endorsements of Congressional candidates. Discussion held. Motion made and carried unanimously to endorse the following candidates for Congress from New York and New Jersey: Tim Bishop, Steve Israel, Carolyn McCarthy, Gary Ackerman, Joseph Crowley, Jerrold Nadler, Anthony Weiner, Yvette Clarke, Nydia Velazquez, Michael McMahon, Carolyn Maloney, Charles Rangel, Jose Serrano, Elliot Engel, Nita Lowey, John Hall, Frank Pallone, Linda Stender and Steven Rothman. Discussion held.

Molloy requested a contribution of $125 each from TEMPO 802 to the campaign committees of John Hall, Michael McMahon, Joseph Crowley, Jerrold Nadler, Anthony Weiner, Carolyn Maloney and Linda Stender. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the request.

Molloy presented a list of proposed endorsements of candidates for the New York State Senate and Assembly. Discussion held.

Motion made and carried unanimously to endorse State Senate Candidates Joseph Addabbo, Velmanette Montgomery, Martin Goldin and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and State Assembly candidates Karim Camara and Janele Hyer-Spencer. 

Molloy requested a contribution of $125 each from TEMPO 802 to the campaign committees of Addabbo, Montgomery, Goldin, Stewart-Cousins, Camara and Hyer-Spencer. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the request.

Molloy reported on phone banking efforts by Local 802 members who had volunteered to make calls on behalf of presidential candidate Barack Obama. Molloy excused.

Members John Babich, Tino Gagliardi, Jack Gale, Bill Rohdin and Bobby Shankin appeared before the Board to discuss their disagreement with portions of a column in the October 2008 Allegro authored by Recording Vice President Dennison. Discussion held. Babich, Gagliardi, Gale, Rohdin and Shankin excused. Discussion held.

Jazz Representative Weeks appeared before the Board and presented an agreement with Marstam Music (Marvin Stamm). Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the agreement.

Landolfi reported on the status of New York City Ballet negotiations. 

Meeting adjourned at 1:45 p.m.


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2008

Meeting called to order at 11:05 a.m. Present: President Landolfi, Recording Vice President Dennison, Financial Vice President Blumenthal, Executive Board members Fein, Johansen, Norrell, Rizzo, Roach, Schaffner, Schwartz and Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens. 

Recording Vice President Dennison distributed the minutes of October 21, 2008. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the minutes as amended.

Landolfi requested that Local 802 endorse Dennis Shulman, the Democratic Party nominee for Congress from New Jersey’s 5th Congressional district. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the request.

Landolfi reported on her attendance at a meeting of Trustees of the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund.

Landolfi reported on the status of negotiations with the New York City Ballet.

Landolfi distributed materials prepared for a recent meeting of the Broadway Theatre Committee and reported on the committee’s discussions regarding a potential media proposal from the League of American Theatres and Producers. Discussion held.

Dennison requested the expenditure of $1,544 for repair of the air conditioning system on the 4th floor of the Local 802 headquarters building. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the request.

Financial Vice President Blumenthal distributed material regarding the economic status of the theatre business in New York City. Discussion held.

Broadway producer and Secretary-Treasurer of the League of American Theatres and Producers Kevin McCollum appeared before the EB to request a modification of the terms of the Broadway agreement applicable to the upcoming production of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.” Theatre Committee co-chair Wally Usiatynski present. Discussion held. McCollum excused. Discussion held. Usiatynski excused.

Chair of the Local 802 Copyists Committee Russ Anixter appeared before the Board and presented a proposal from the Copyists Committee regarding several changes in the General Price List (GPL) for copying work that reflect the new realities of the copying business. Anixter noted that the GPL copying rates had not been changed in several years and that these changes were a follow-up to the recent changes made in GPL orchestration rates. (See minutes of March 11, 2008.) Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the proposed changes in the GPL. Anixter excused.

Members Fred Barton, Helen Campo, Ned Ginsberg, Paul Raiman and David Siegel appeared before the Board for a discussion of the organizing campaign and agreement reached between Local 802 and the production company Hootenanny, LLC covering the children’s cable television show “WonderPets!” Also present were Assistant to the President LeFevre, Recording Representative Cohn, Organizer Copeland and Theatre Representative Friedman. Discussion held. Member Jim Mironchik present. Discussion continued. Board member Rizzo excused at 1:30 p.m. Discussion continued. Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens excused at 1:45 p.m. Ginsberg excused. Barton, Campo, Raiman and Siegel excused. Cohn, Copeland, Friedman and LeFevre excused. Discussion continued.

Dennison excused at 3:05 p.m. Blumenthal took the minutes. Discussion resumed on the request regarding the Broadway production of “Irving Berlin’s White Christmas.” Board members Roach and Schaffner excused at 3:40 p.m.

Discussion held on a letter received by Recording Vice President Dennison from Arthur Z. Schwartz, Esq., counsel to member David Finck, and on a proposed letter of response to Mr. Schwartz from Local 802 Counsel Mars. Motion made and passed that the letter from Local 802 Counsel Mars be sent to Mr. Schwartz. Opposed: Schwartz.

Meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.


TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2008

Meeting called to order at 11:10 a.m. Present: President Landolfi, Recording Vice President Dennison, Financial Vice President Blumenthal, Executive Board members Fein, Giannini, Norrell, Rizzo, Schwartz and Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens.

Recording Vice President Dennison distributed the minutes of October 21, 2008. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the minutes as amended.

Motion made and carried unanimously to affirm a phone poll approving Local 802’s participation in an advertisement jointly sponsored by the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds and the League of American Theatres and Producers seeking to protect the “white spaces” in the electromagnetic spectrum for use by Theatres and other performance spaces. 

Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the Strike Fund bylaw presented to the October 22, 2008 membership meeting at which a quorum was not achieved.

Landolfi reported on further communications from members of the “WonderPets!” orchestra and on a discussion with staff regarding their organizing efforts.

Landolfi reported that musicians on the cuts list at “Gypsy” had been dismissed.

Dennison presented an agreement with the Hotel Users of Music Committee representing the major New York City Hotels and covering musicians who perform on a regular basis in the hotels. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the agreement subject to ratification by the bargaining unit.

Assistant to the President LeFevre and Public Relations and Political Action Director Molloy appeared before the Board to discuss the “WonderPets!” organizing campaign and other organizing efforts. Discussion held. Molloy excused. Discussion continued. LeFevre excused.

Chief Information Officer Alayo appeared before the Board to discuss the current status of the computer department. Alayo requested the employment of a part-time computer technician to assist the work of the department. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the request. Alayo excused.

Principal Theatre Representative Donovan appeared before the Board and presented an agreement with the York Theatre. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the agreement. Recused: Fein. Donovan excused.

Controller Goldman appeared before the Board and presented the August 2008 financials, the September 2008 financials, the January to September 2008 financials and the September 2008 vouchers.

Local 802 Counsel Mars and Concert Representative Fisher appeared before the Board and presented an agreement with the Stamford Symphony. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the agreement subject to ratification by the bargaining unit. Mars and Fisher excused.

Public Relations and Political Action Director Molloy appeared before the Board and requested the endorsement of NYS Assembly candidates Steven Englebright, Linda Rosenthal and Mike Spano, and NYS Senate Candidate Dean Skelos. Motion made and carried unanimously to endorse candidates Englebright, Rosenthal, Spano and Skelos. Motion made and carried unanimously to contribute $125 each to the political action committees of candidates Englebright, Rosenthal, Spano and Skelos.

Meeting adjourned at 1:10 p.m.