Last month musicians who have worked for both Florida Grand Opera and Palm Beach Symphony in the past were told that they must choose one or the other. Contractor Alfredo Oliva lost his contract with Florida Grand Opera and chose to punish the musicians who work for him in retribution. Neither organization provides a living wage, and like all musicians in south Florida, those musicians need to work for multiple employers to make a living. Being told you cannot work for anyone else is an unfair burden to place on hard-working musicians, and our officers reached out to both organizations, as well as Mr. Oliva. Florida Grand Opera was happy to speak with our officers, and more than willing to work with our musicians, but neither Palm Beach Symphony nor Mr. Oliva chose to respond. Our thanks go to the Opera for doing the right thing, and if the Symphony or Mr. Oliva reach out to you, you have been warned about the treatment you should expect. We need to support those that support us, and not those that punish us for trying to make a living.
Last month both President Hawley and Secretary-Treasurer Apana attended the AFM Southern Conference of Locals as well as officer training presented by the AFM. The focus of the training and the conference was organizing and building power. Attendees at the Conference heard from AFM staff in the symphonic, organizing, recording, and freelance departments, as well as the AFM Diversity Committee. It was also a great opportunity to network and compare notes with officers of other Locals in the southeast.