President's View
TMA Convention Action
The convention of the American Federation of Musicians is will be held from June
18-20 2007 in Las Vegas. There are resolution and recommendations that concern
us as Theater Musicians. The financial package proposals being put forth by the
AFM Revenue Committee that was mandated by the 2005 convention as part of the
overall financial package it passed, and the financial package being proposed by
the IEB are of great concern to us as Theater Musicians. Either of these
packages has the potential to create more divisions in our already splintered
AFM.
The AFM Revenue Committee will recommend raising work dues across the board. You
will be required to pay an additional 0.10% on all your theater wages to the
Federation. This increase is being proposed, as a "pass through" so the local's
work dues would automatically be raised to reflect this increase. Locals will
not be allowed to absorb this increase.
The Revenue Committee has also proposed a $5.00 per capita increase for each of
the next three years. The proposal also includes making the AFM Convention
triennial rather than biannual.
The IEB proposal is even worse because it proposes to raise Theater work dues by
a 1/2 % and calls for a $2.00 per capita increases in each year, also over the
next three years making the AFM Convention triennial rather than biannual.
In 2003, the Federation raised symphonic work dues 0.05%, and had all traveling
theatrical work dues go to the Federation and none to the locals. These and
other work dues raises were supposed to fix the financial problem and allow for
greater services in these fields. Neither has been true.
The AFM is asking for more money without showing us where and how the increased
funding will be spent, or why it is needed.
Our local theater contracts are negotiated and administered by our locals. The
cost of negotiating and administering our local CBAs is paid for by our locals.
So, what service does the AFM provide us with, for the work dues increase that
would go straight to the Federation?
Our brothers and sisters in the symphonic world already pay .55% to the
Federation, which has generated 8.3 million dollars between 2001-2005. Raising
their dues could be especially dangerous, divisive, and detrimental to the
Federation. Many of the local unions with ICSOM Orchestras pay for their
negotiations and do not use the AFM Symphonic Services Division for their
negotiations.
I urge you to immediately have your chapters compose and sign a letter to your
Local Officers and other Local Officers in your vicinity letting them know that
they should vote NO on any work dues and or dues increases.
We must do this and it must be done now.
Sincerely,
Vicky Smolik
President TMA