Member Feedback
I wish you guys could have these meetings when people who have day gigs
(college profs) could make them.
Dante Luciani
Can't make the meeting, but our life insurance premium is 20 times the going
rate. Coupled with the fact it's mandatory and paid to an insurance
provider that doesn't provide health insurance in Florida, it's obscene. Dump
this insurance company, or I'll consider resigning in good standing. Check
your records, I've done it before and I mean it.
Randy Emerick
First of all, I would like to object to your premise that our local is ‘us’
(the recording musicians) vs. ‘them’ (the orchestra). There are several
musicians in the orchestras who also record, and also pay Union dues on their
recording income. Conversely, there are several recording musicians who perform
with the orchestras in South Florida. They may not play full time with these
orchestras, but they perform with them as extras and/or subs.
It has NEVER been the intent of any orchestra member that I know to bankrupt the
Local. We value the Local, particularly Peter Graves and Jeffrey Apana and the
rest of the Board, more than you can imagine. They were there for us during this
highly stressful time in our personal and collective lives, just as they have
been there for us every time our management has violated the contract over and
over again. It is probably true that in negotiation years, the Local does not
make any money on us, since legal and other expenses probably consume our dues.
However, in the years that we are not negotiating, I cannot imagine that we cost
the Local anything like what we pay in.
Lastly, I believe in the ideals of Unionism for ALL members of the Local and
National Union. I would never want to belong to a Union organization that pits
one constituency against another. If the recording musicians or another
orchestra were on strike against their management, I would be there for them, as
several members of other orchestras and recording musicians were there to walk
our picket line with us.
Deena Shapiro