Last Month at the Local
Last month we began contract negotiations with Palm Beach Opera for a successor collective bargaining agreement. Our current contract expires at the end of May 2016. We are assisted by AFM Symphonic Services negotiator Todd Jelen, and five members who are tenured musicians with PBO (the "orchestra committee") are also participating in negotiations.The AFM is here to help musicians get the best possible contracts, and input from musicians is vital to our success. Musicians are surveyed to determine concerns and priorities, musicians assist in drafting proposals and negotiating with management, and musicians have the right to ratify (or not) whatever agreement we reach with management during negotiations. Musicians will also assist with enforcing the agreement during its term. Our strength lies in musician participation. If you are interested in learning more about getting involved, serving on a committee, or participating in negotiations, please give us a call.
Thanks to a collaboration between the Music Performance Trust Fund and the National Council on Aging, MusicianFest is coming to south Florida. The collaboration provides funding for concerts at senior centers across the United States. We will be contacting musicians who have already expressed interest in performing at senior centers. If you are a single musician (sorry, no bands) and are interested and have not already contacted us, please let us know.
We have also reached out to an organization that wants to broadcast a live performance on local television. We always encourage musicians to make sure an AFM agreement is in place whenever recordings are being made. You never know where or when a recording may show up...it may be public TV today but a nationally distributed DVD next year. An AFM agreement always requires an additional payment if a recording is used for another purpose other than what it was originally intended. And recording payments are always in addition to any compensation for the live performance. If they ever try to "wrap the fees into the cost of the gig" they are really just cutting your pay to cover the cost of the recording. Don't let yourself be taken advantage of...contact us if you need help.
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