Allegro

Executive Board Minutes

January 29, 2002 -- February 19, 2002

Volume CII, No. 4April, 2002

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2002

Meeting called to order at 11:15 a.m. Present: President Moriarity, Recording Vice-President Price, Executive Board members Blumenthal, Crow, Gale, Giannini, Landolfi, Shankin and Weiss, Controller Bogert, Assistant to the President Dennison, Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens.

President Moriarity reported on the ongoing AFM Pamphlet B negotiations.

Moriarity reported on possible changes in the AFM-EP Fund in view of the recent arbitration decision (see Jan. 22 minutes).

Moriarity submitted a bill for $1,664.83 from AFM legal counsel Bredhoff and Kaiser, which had been engaged to provide research in the recently concluded Metropolitan Opera Orchestra pension fund negotiations. (See Jan. 22 minutes.) Motion made and carried unanimously to approve payment of the expense as submitted.

Moriarity reported on his attendance at the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra Extra and Associate Musicians meeting to discuss the current negotiations and a possible strike authorization vote. The committee’s bylaws require a period of seven days after the meeting to elapse before the strike authorization vote may begin.

Moriarity excused to attend a meeting at Lincoln Center.

Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the Jan. 22 minutes as amended.

Meeting recessed at 12:30 p.m.

Meeting resumed at 1:30 p.m.

Present: Moriarity, Price, Hafemeister, Blumenthal, Crow, Gale, Landolfi, Shankin, Bogert, Dennison, Lennon, Owens.

Moriarity reported on the 2002 budget process.

Financial Vice-President Hafemeister and Assistant Director Lennon reported on the status of freelance concert orchestra negotiations.

Public Relations Director Beaudoin appeared before the board to present the budget for the 2002 Live Music Campaign. She outlined the schedule for radio commercial announcements on WNYC, WBGO and WINS and print media insertions in Playbill and Variety. In addition to these expenses there will be a component for the services of a public relations consultant. The budget as presented would cost $153,651. Discussion held. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve the public relations budget as presented. Beaudoin thanked and excused.

Moriarity submitted a telephone poll of the board that had asked for approval of the expenditure of $1,500 by Local 802 for an advertisement in the Grammy Awards journal in a combined effort with the AFM, the International RMA and Local 47. Motion made and carried unanimously to affirm the poll that approved the expenditure of $1,500 as outlined.

Moriarity reported that the Westchester Symphony had suspended operations due to severe fundraising problems. Discussion held.

Moriarity gave an overview of the assets of the AFM-EP fund, which now stand at over one billion, six hundred million dollars.

Landolfi excused at 3:00 p.m.

Assistant to the President Dennison reported on the possibility of increasing the strike fund to one million dollars. Discussion held.

Meeting adjourned at 3:05 p.m.


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2002

Meeting called to order at 11:25 a.m. Present: Recording Vice-President Price, Financial Vice-President Hafemeister, Executive Board members Blumenthal, Crow, Gale, Giannini, Landolfi, Rohdin and Shankin, Controller Bogert, Assistant to the President Dennison, Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens. President Moriarity excused to attend AFM Film negotiations in Los Angeles. Hafemeister chaired the meeting.

Assistant to the President Dennison submitted a special situation request from the producer of a pending new Broadway musical entitled Hairspray. Dennison distributed letters from the orchestrator and composer to support the request for special situation status. The board was asked to read the correspondence to prepare for a more complete discussion at the next board meeting.

Dennison submitted a request from Tenants and Neighbors, a city-wide tenants’ advocacy organization, that Local 802 become a co-sponsor of the “Rent 2002 Campaign.” Motion made and carried unanimously to approve.

Legislative Director Beaudoin appeared before the board to discuss the endorsement of a candidate for the NYS Senate Special Election for the 23rd Senate District on Manhattan’s East Side. Local 802 had interviewed candidates John Ravitz and Liz Krueger. Discussion held. Motion made and carried unanimously to endorse John Ravitz. Beaudoin excused.

Controller Bogert requested that the board approve removing the Social Security number from 802 membership cards in response to members’ concerns about identity theft. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve.

Senior Business Rep Donovan appeared before the board with an agreement with FBNY, Ltd. Partnership for the show Forbidden Broadway 2001: A Spoof Odyssey at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve.

Board member Weiss and Assistant Director Lennon present at 11:50 a.m.

Assistant Director Lennon distributed a memorandum of agreement with the American Composers Orchestra. He outlined the agreement’s clauses and conditions and noted that, due to time constraints and the orchestra schedule, orchestra members had ratified the agreement pending board approval. Discussion held. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve.

Lennon updated the board on the status of ongoing negotiations with those orchestras that had not yet signed agreements.

Meeting adjourned at 12:25 p.m.


TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2002

Meeting called to order at 11:25 a.m. Present: Recording Vice-President Price, Financial Vice-President Hafemeister, Executive Board members Blumenthal, Crow, Gale, Giannini, Landolfi, Reynolds, Rohdin, Shankin and Weiss, Controller Bogert, Assistant to the President Dennison, Assistant Director Lennon, Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens. President Moriarity excused to attend AFM-EP Fund meeting. Hafemeister chaired the meeting.

Jan. 29 and Feb. 5 minutes unanimously approved as amended.

Price submitted the Jan. 31 Trial Board minutes for the board’s information. Legal counsel Leibowitz present for discussion focussing, in part, on collection options, including litigation, for any fines which might be levied by the union. The Trial Board minutes will be published in the March Allegro.

Leibowitz presented the memorandum for the collective bargaining agreement with the Metropolitan Opera Association (MOA) for the Associate and Extra Musicians. He explained the agreement and discussion took place, after which Leibowitz was excused.

Assistant Director Lennon informed the board of the leafleting of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Orchestra in Brooklyn on Feb. 15 and 16. Management had presented a piano recital in place of a previously-scheduled orchestra concert. The leafleting was in response to management’s lockout of the orchestra.

Lennon requested that the telephone poll of the board that approved the Queens Symphony agreement be affirmed. Discussion held on the agreement. Motion made and carried unanimously to affirm the poll.

Lennon submitted and reviewed an agreement with the Opera Orchestra of New York. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve.

Lennon submitted and reviewed an agreement with the Little Orchestra Society. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve.

Meeting recessed at 1:30 p.m.

Meeting resumed at 2:30 p.m.

Present: President Moriarity, Price, Blumenthal, Crow, Gale, Giannini, Reynolds, Rohdin, Shankin, Weiss, Bogert, Dennison.

Moriarity reviewed the MOA Extra and Associate Musicians’ agreement previously brought to the attention of the board by Leibowitz. Discussion held. Motion made and carried unanimously to approve.

Moriarity discussed the MOA Librarian agreement. He advised the board that Local 802 will begin negotiations in a few weeks for a new agreement for the MOA Music Staff.

The recently-concluded AFM Film negotiations were reviewed briefly by Moriarity, who informed the board that Assistant Supervisor Schaffner will present a detailed report and analysis of the negotiations at the next board meeting.

Director of Organizing Eisman appeared before the board to report on current organizing activities and campaigns at the Lucy Moses School, the Midori Foundation and the Nefshenu Orchestra. After discussion Eisman excused.

Moriarity submitted a request for special situation status from the producers of the new musical Hairspray. (See Feb. 5 minutes.) Discussion held, during which it was decided that more information was needed to make an accurate assessment of the request.

Crow excused at 4:00 p.m.

Assistant to the President Dennison advised the board that members of a Local 802 bargaining unit are delinquent in payment of a considerable amount of work dues. He submitted several possible options for payment and asked the board for its input. Discussion held.

Gale excused at 4:05 p.m.

Discussion held on AFM-EP Fund changes resulting from the recent arbitration decision.

Price reported to the board that he had granted the following leaves of absence:

  1. Brian Hamm, from the Broadway production Les Misérables, from Jan. 15-21, for personal reasons.
  2. Katherine Canfield, from the Broadway production Les Misérables, from Jan. 17-Feb. 2 to perform with the NJ Symphony and for personal reasons, and from Feb. 14-March 2 for personal reasons, with the proviso that she not substitute in Les Misérables during those periods.
  3. Jeffrey Lang, from the Broadway production Beauty and the Beast, from Feb. 6-July 27, to perform with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
  4. Suzanne Ornstein, from the Broadway production Beauty and the Beast, from Jan. 18-27, to take part in the artist-in-residence program in Sun Valley, Idaho.
  5. Joseph Quigley, from the Broadway production The Full Monty, from Jan. 18-Feb. 13, to perform other music work, with the proviso that he not substitute in The Full Monty during that period.
  6. David Weiss, from the Broadway production The Lion King, from Nov. 19-Dec. 22, 2001, to freelance, with the proviso that he not substitute in The Lion King during that period.
  7. Anthony Cecere, from the Broadway production Beauty and the Beast, from Jan. 14-21, to perform with the New Jersey Symphony, with the proviso that he not substitute in Beauty and the Beast during that period.
  8. Ted Baker, from the Broadway production The Lion King, from Jan. 9-31, to perform on tour.
  9. Karen Karlsrud, from the Broadway production The Producers, from Dec. 26, 2001-Jan. 30, 2002, to play the NYC Ballet and other engagements, with the proviso that she not substitute in The Producers during that period.
  10. Jill Williamson, from the Broadway production The Producers, from Dec. 7-13, to perform out of town and for personal reasons.
  11. Jeffrey Carney, from the Broadway production Beauty and the Beast, from Feb. 14-March 2, for musical reasons, with the proviso that he not substitute in Beauty and the Beast during that period.
  12. Anthony Cecere, from the Broadway production Beauty and the Beast, from Jan. 30-Feb. 4, to perform with the New Jersey Symphony, with the proviso that he not substitute in Beauty and the Beast during that period.
  13. Howard Joines, from the Broadway production The Full Monty, from Feb. 20-24, to conduct the Orlando Philharmonic.

Meeting adjourned at 4:20 p.m.