|
Theatre Musicians
Association
 |
TMA Convention Action
The convention of the American Federation of Musicians will be held from
June 18-20 2007 in
Las Vegas. There are resolution and recommendations that concern us as
Theatre 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 Theatre 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 theatre
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 Theatre work
dues by a 1/2% and calls for $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 immediately.
Sincerely,
Vicky Smolik
President
TMA
Click Here to Return to Top of Page
|
