Recording Rap
NEW GUIDELINES FOR B-FORM SESSION REPORTS
In the course of preparing for the most recent round of bargaining of the Phonograph Record Labor Agreement, Federation officers, counsel, staff, and Local officers devoted a great amount of time and attention to a loophole that resulted in musicians being paid months after the session despite record companies "complying" with the 15 day payment rule.
While no magical contract provisions could be found to make this serious problem disappear, it was determined that what is needed is a common-sense approach involving attention to paperwork, coordination between the contractor and the production coordinator/production assistant, and encouraging the contractor to keep his/her "eyes on the calendar." These procedures, effective immediately, are as follows:
Contractor/Leader Responsibilities
The Contractor/Leader retains the primary responsibility for preparing the B Form and submitting it to the record company. Keep a record of the date that you send the B form to the record company! Send the B form by certified or overnight mail, or fax it and keep a printout showing the fax was successfully delivered, or keep a log in which you list the dates on which you send each B form. Also, make sure to send a copy of the B form to the Local and be sure to keep a copy for your files.
Production Coordinator/Assistant Assistance
As a matter of business practice, production coordinators/assistants ("PA’s") frequently have prepared Form B’s. Even under the revised procedures, you have the right to solicit the assistance of the PA in preparing and submitting the B forms. However, even if the PA has agreed to provide such assistance, you must make sure that he or she forwards the completed B form to the record company in a timely manner. Keeping "on top" of the paperwork is the name of the game!
W-4s not condition of payment.
A record company is no longer permitted to delay payments to musicians because it has not received a Form W-4 or an I-9 from the musician. Nevertheless, you should continue to forward Form W-4s and I-9s to the record company (along with the B Forms) in a timely fashion.
The more control you exercise over completing the B forms and making sure that they are promptly submitted to the record company, the faster the musicians will get paid. If you need any assistance in fulfilling these functions, please call me at the Local for my help.
New Phono Session Rates:
3 hour Basic Session Scale
Leader $605.70
Sidemusician $302.85
NARAS HITS 400!
In December, the South Florida branch of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences and its sister organization, LARAS (the Latin Academy), signed their 400th member. The landmark member? Julio Iglesias Jr. Iglesias Jr.’s membership elevates the local NARAS office to the status of NARAS Chapter. What this all really means is that South Florida is quickly gaining clout and stature as a music center.
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