Summary
Local 802 has negotiated a health benefits shortfall fund in several orchestra contracts to help freelance orchestra musicians maintain their health insurance. The musicians on the primary hiring lists of these orchestras may apply for contributions from the funds to reach either Recovery Plan A or Plan B if they have at least some contributions in the plan for the covered period.
Submission Date and How to Apply
Musicians may apply for shortfall funds starting on January 23, 2024 at 9:30am EST. The submission link below will become active at that time. You may need to reload this page to see the active link:
Submission Summary
Applications will be considered in the order they are received. As such, to provide fair response opportunities to our membership, an outline of the form is provided below. For further fairness, submissions cannot be submitted until 9:30am EST on the opening submission day. Please note: for shortfall fund request eligibility, you must have been rostered with AND worked for one or more of the orchestras listed below under “Participating Orchestras” during the most recent six-month contribution period.
Questions Asked
- Email address (does not need to match your email address on file with Local 802)
- Full name
- Local 802 card number (eg, A12345)
- Phone number
- Total amount of shortfall subsidy requesting
- Whether you’re requesting contributions for Recovery Plan A and/or Plan B.
- Which orchestra(s) you are requesting a shortfall from
If you have questions about how the shortfall funds work, please contact Financial Vice President Karen Fisher. Questions regarding the Local 802 Health Fund should be directed to the Health Fund.
Shortfall Fund Details
IMPORTANT NOTE: Starting Jan 1, 2023, Recovery Plan A will require $3,000 in employer contributions every six months.
Currently, members must have $3,000 in contributions for Plan A per six-month period, or $500 in contributions for Plan B per six-month period. Musicians may access their accounts through the Local 802 membership portal. (Although some contributions may not appear in the portal now, make your best estimate of how much you need to reach either the $500 threshold for Plan B or the $3,000 threshold for Plan A.) We will confirm the amount with the fund before we send the shortfall request to the orchestra(s). The dollar amount needed will be divided among the participating orchestras that employ you, up to — in most cases — $500. The funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. If you have questions about how the shortfall funds work, please contact Financial Vice President Karen Fisher. Questions regarding the Local 802 Musicians Health Fund should be directed to the Health Fund.
Participating Orchestras
| Orchestra | Max contribution per musician |
|---|---|
| American Ballet Theater | $500 |
| American Symphony Orchestra | $500 |
| Bronx Arts Ensemble | $500 |
| Little Orchestra Society | $750 |
| Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra | $250 |
| New York Pops | $500 |
| NYGASP | $300 |
| Queens Symphony | $500 |
| Riverside Symphony | $500 |
| Orchestra of St. Luke’s | $500 |
| Orchestra Lumos (formerly Stamford Symphony) | $750 |
| Westchester Philharmonic | $500 |
Health Fund
Questions regarding the Local 802 Health Fund should be directed to the Health Fund.