After narrowly averting a strike during last season’s Christmas Spectacular, and following several months of difficult negotiations this year, Local 802 has reached agreement on a new contract with Radio City Productions. RCP is owned by Cablevision, which also owns

As hearings dragged on this summer at the National Labor Relations Board, the Apollo musicians presented solid evidence that they are clearly employees – and not, as the Apollo claims, independent contractors. If the Labor Board agrees with Local 802,

Local 802’s election of officers – President, Financial Vice-President, Recording Vice-President, nine Executive and nine Trial Board members – and five delegates and three alternates to the AFM Convention, three delegates to the New York City Central Labor Council, two

The cost of prescription drugs is rising sharply, far outpacing inflation. This has resulted in some health insurance plans either dropping the benefits or sharply curtailing them. And concern over costs is fueling the debate in Congress over whether to

UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE INITIATIVES LAWMAKERS TACKLE THE HIGH COST OF PRESCRIPTIONS PLEDGING SUPPORT FOR SOCIAL SECURITY NYS UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFIT TO RISE YOUR VOTE COUNTS. USE IT. UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE INITIATIVES In Massachusetts, where a well-organized movement for universal health care

The union needs your help. Over the last eight months, Local 802’s New Organizing Department has helped musicians gain power on the job, mainly in the single-engagement field. The department, along with a silent army of 802 members who know

Avelon Ramnath, a member of the 802 staff since the late 1970s, was recently named supervisor of the Membership Department. Ms. Ramnath, who moved to the United States from Trinidad in 1973, began her career at Local 802 as a

During the Explorations in Singing workshop held at Marywood University earlier this summer, master singing teacher Thomas Houser made the following statement about one of his colleagues teaching at the workshop: “I have learned as much about singing from her

Demetrios Kastaris A recent profile in Newsday described 802 member Demetrios Kastaris as a “trombonist, conductor and arranger; leading figure in Afro-Cuban jazz with his own group, the Latin Jazz Coalition; also a teacher; in September will be the new

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF ARTS EDUCATORS A grievance between the union and the National Association of Arts Educators, based in Gettysburg, Pa., was settled on June 29. The dispute arose after the employer cancelled a performance of Pirates of Penzance within

Henry Aaron – Viola/Conductor Sal Amato – Saxophone Al Avola – Guitar Gordon “Tex” Beneke – Saxophone Arnold Black – Violin/Composer Emil P. Blasko – Trumpet Louis Deluca – Guitar Bernard Flood – Trumpet Philip Frank – Violin William G.

Pianist Loonis McGlohon, one of the late Alec Wilder’s lyricists who lives in North Carolina, describes Wilder in a letter as “the most erudite, warm, caring, curmudgeonly, ill-mannered, well-manned, rude, Edwardian, insulting, tender, ill-kempt, inconsiderate, hostile, funny, eccentric, original, frightened,