Please allow me to introduce myself: my name is Sarah Haines, and as of January 1st, I have been appointed to the office of Recording Vice President of Local 802. As you may have heard already at this point, the position has been altered somewhat from what it has been for decades past, as I will be serving in my capacity as RVP while also continuing on in my career as a working violist and violinist. I am committed to serving in this capacity with respect, dignity, humility, and competence, and I hope that over time we can learn from one another and work together to make Local 802 stronger for all working musicians.

I believe that being an active musician will allow me to bring the perspective of working musicians directly to the board and contract committees. Folks who have worked with me know that I do not shy away from a challenge, or for standing up for what I believe is right, and I would hope that even the folks who don’t love my big personality would say, “She’s a pain in the ass, but she tries her best to do the right thing.” I believe in the core of my being that we are all stronger together, and that when we stand in solidarity with one another we can improve the lives of all working musicians in our communities.

MY EXPERIENCE AS A MUSICIAN

My background in music is varied, and I am excited to bring that element to the Recording Vice President’s Office. A graduate of NYU, I split my performance major between violin and viola, while also taking music business and copyright law classes. After school, I came up in the gig scene, playing for singer songwriters, contemporary chamber orchestras, avant garde theatre, new opera, glam rock cabarets, small freelance orchestras, weddings and events–you name it, and I’ve probably got a story.

I have been a member of rock band Emanuel and the Fear for 13 years, as well as having my own personal singer-songwriter project. I joined Local 802 in 2015 when I got my first Off Broadway opportunity, and I have been a member since then, working under the Pamphlet B Touring Theatre agreement, for various Broadway and Off Broadway shows as a sub and a chairholder, on Club Dates as well as subbing with ABT, ASO, and Queens Symphony, and even being in one or two episodes of Mozart in the Jungle (I bet a few folks remember that one) back in the day. With this breadth of experience, I am hopeful that we can welcome new types of work and many new members under the union umbrella as we move forward in learning how this role can work in a more modern capacity, with its finger on the pulse of the current music industry.

MY UNION SERVICE

In the last few years after coming back from a multi-year stint touring with Les Miserables and then Hamilton, I have become more and more involved at Local 802, working as one of the player representatives for the Pamphlet B contract negotiations with the AFM, as well as being the chair of the Off Broadway Not-for-Profit contract committee, and most recently the vice-chair of the Broadway negotiation. I have also been serving on the Executive Board for the past year, with a front row seat to the many ins and outs of leadership.

Each of the negotiations I have been a part of has had its own unique challenges, and I enjoyed stepping up to meet what was being asked of me at each turn. I learned what it meant to negotiate with the Broadway League during the Pamphlet B negotiations, and had the chance to speak with and learn from presidents and leaders from other locals from across the country during that negotiation. Following that, the NFP Off Broadway negotiation was completely different. With no lawyers at the table, our incredible Broadway representative Theresa Couture led the bargaining sessions with ease and expertise, and showed me so much about the enormous potential of committee-led negotiations. We were able to achieve high gains in this contract because of the trust we were able to build with one another on our side of the table, and the committee was incredibly engaged and each person spoke across the table on various issues. When we got the Broadway negotiations, I along with the committee pushed for a new style of communication with the rest of the bargaining unit, and we were able to run a very successful organizing campaign due to the efforts of a lot of different folks working together to fight for our contract.

HOW TO REACH ME

Looking forward, I would like to remind you all: please don’t hesitate to reach out if you want to try to get a gig on a contract, whether it’s a one-off concert or with a longstanding employer. If you feel like you’re being paid or treated unfairly, your time is being taken advantage of, if you want to get more in benefits contributions, or you want to be protected by union representation in the case of employers making arbitrary or unfair decisions affecting your livelihood, we are here for you. There are many different types of contracts, from nonprofits, fundraising concerts, parades, and music education, to large venue single engagements and more, and we will do our best to find the one that works for your situation.

If you want to report something anonymously you can always make a confidential call (or e-mail) to the Local 802 hotline at www.local802afm.org/hotline. On that same page, you can find instructions on how to use Local 802’s confidential reporting app called #NotMe