10/19/05 Radio City Entertainment on International Unfair List

ALERT: A MEMBERSHIP ADVISORY
From AFM President, Tom Lee

Re: RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR:

Local 802 is in the midst of a bitter struggle with Radio City Entertainment (RCE), which is the entertainment arm of Cablevision, a multi-billion dollar corporation and the producer of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, over a new contract for the tenured orchestra that plays for the Christmas Spectacular. Despite record profits approaching $100 million per year for this show, RCE demanded that the musicians accept a severe reduction in their annual income from the show. Now that Local 802 has rejected their concessionary bargaining tactics, RCE is attempting to find replacement musicians from anywhere in the USA, Canada or Europe to either SCAB or CREATE A TAPE to replace our musicians.

There is a strong rumor that RCE or its allies will try to reach out to unemployed Louisiana musicians, as a way of making it look like a charitable gesture rather than scabbing.

The American Federation of Musicians of the USA and Canada has placed RCE on the AFM International Unfair List, which means that no AFM member is permitted to work on this production during this dispute.

As President of the AFM and in accordance with Article 8, Section 3 of the AFM’s Bylaws, I am directing all members of the AFM not to perform services or accept any offer of work from RCE and/or in connection with the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

If you have any information or questions regarding this matter, please contact Mary Donovan at: mdonovan[at]local802afm[dot]org or 212.245.4802, ext 156.

In Solidarity,

Tom Lee

President

American Federation of Musicians

10/13/05 Musicians Advised Not to Play Palm Beach Pops Recording Sessions

Please be advised that the Palm Beach Pops is planning to record  several non-Union sessions with a large orchestra in South Florida  this weekend. This organization has a history of avoiding  negotiations with the AFM. They have refused requests to record this  project under AFM agreements. The pay and working conditions being  offered are below those of AFM agreements. Many musicians are refusing to play these non-AFM sessions under these conditions.

If you are contacted by the Palm Beach Pops to play on this  recording, please realize that by accepting this dark date, you would  not only be accepting pay that is below scale, a lack of benefits, and lack of protection for New Use, but you would also be  undercutting your fellow musicians who are trying to make a stand for  fair and acceptable treatment.

For more information, please contact:

Steve Roitstein
Vice President
AFM Local 655, South Florida
steve[at]afm655[dot]org
954-925-1996