WE’RE BACK! SPECIAL COMMENT – share with all members
I. WHAT’S THE DEAL – BUILDING ALREADY LISTED!
II. MEMBER COMMENTARIES – BUILDING SALE
III. A LITTLE CLUB 47 HISTORY
IV. ANSWER TO CRITICAL ANALYSIS
V. COMMENTS
VI. EVENTS
…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer
…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician
…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician
Name Withheld
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SPECIAL COMMENT FROM THE COMMITTEE:
It seems the COMMITTEE haters have been working overtime, A few someones’
didn’t seem to want negative comments about the possible sale of the Local
47 building to get out to the membership. In the past 3 weeks there
has been a flurry of complaints trying to get the COMMITTEE site shut down, and
for a short while they succeeded, which is why the mailing is late. Mailings will return
in the next couple of days.
These recent actions, unfortunately make us even more suspicious of the building
sale attempt. Why does the Local, or someone at the Local, seem to want to
keep any negative comments from the membership? Who stands to make the
windfall here?
For those who don’t want to find out what the membership really thinks or wants
to stay ignorant of what’s going on, there’s a remove button on every mailing we
send. Please use it if that is the case, but don’t stay on the list then send complaints
trying to get it shut down and keep information from the membership. That is
simply pathetic and as intellectually dishonest as it gets.
Please be there for the meeting on October 5th. Make sure the Local hears your voice.
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I. WHAT’S THE DEAL?
We’re supposed to vote, yet the building is already listed?!
823 Vine St, Hollywood, CA, 90038 | Hilton & Hyland
www.hiltonhyland.com/real-estate/823-vine-st-hollywood-ca…/25346216
Jul 7, 2015 – For Sale · For Lease · International Listings · Featured Listings ·
New Listings · Recently …
823 Vine St, Hollywood, CA 90038 Price on request …
Home to the Musicians Club of Los Angeles and AFM Local 47,
and Ideally located …
The property occupies 4 separate APN numbers, 1.7 acres of land, a 48,496 …
Our source at the Local tells us they needed to list the building to get bids.
However, another source at the local tells us that they get regular offers to
buy the Local every year, from area studios that want to expand.
What if we vote no? Any sale is contingent on the express
approval of the Musician’s Club stakeholders.
We’re also getting reports of employees being told to talk up the sale of
the building, whether they support it or not,… many don’t.
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II. BUILDING SALE COMMENTS
The pamphlet sent by the President gave his point of view only. The idea
of eligibility is absurd. If a member is in good standing he/she is eligible
to vote on this issue. There can only be one reason to demand “eligibility”
and that is to keep members from voting. The pamphlet gave no details
about how to become eligible indicating that October 1st was the cutoff
date for one to be eligible to vote. There was no information on how to
become eligible. It said that this information would be available on
the computer on the same day of the cutoff to apply for eligibility.
What does this mean?
We paid for the pamphlet which did not include other views. Now, we cannot
extend the date of eligibility and voting. The meeting is after this one-day
of eligibility. It will be too late for the Union paper to come out (after
the meeting) with different points of view.
It is a trick. We need more time.
When an “officer” was asked if he agreed with selling the building he said,
“we are all behind it.” We are told money will be more than enough to
cover moving. This is not clear. How much? Where is the prospectus?
We are being instructed to vote (if eligible) without knowing the circumstances.
There is no guarantee that there will be money saved. It is just a promise.
Politicians make promises. Will we give our building to a President as a gift?
A President and Board that is just passing through – who got less than
400 votes. Now they are hoping for a similar complacency from the members.
The reason to have a large number of members on the Board is to get
different ideas and points of view. They all agree with the President.
Some points to consider:
-Vote “no” if an issue is not clear. It is up to the presenter of an issue to
make it clear.
-Why would we vote in favor of officers who gave themselves a large raise
when the scales were not increased? They just took it without deserving it.
-Why is the President propagandizing us into selling our building? What is
the price? Where is the prospectus?
-Why is the President so ardent to take our building away from us?
-The only slim possibility that we can stop the President and his followers
from taking control of our possession (our building) is to become eligible;
otherwise he has us in a corner. We have not been informed how to do that.
– Keep what you have. It is a good building for our needs and, if kept, will be
ours long after the President and his followers are forgotten. Perhaps this
will teach us to have several candidates running for office to vote; as well as,
to have term limits for the Board members.
Some additional things to think about:
-Why must a member in good standing have to “become” eligible to vote
on keeping or selling his/her property? Why is this not explained?
-Why isn’t time being given to consider and discuss this issue before voting?
Why are we being rushed?
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MORE ON THE BUILDING SALE
The possible sale of the building is a feeble attempt to sell off our assets in a
failing business model environment – a true sign of a failing business. It’s move
to raise capitol by the sale of what isn’t nailed down.
I say take out an equity loan, put the money into revitalizing local 47 for whatever
it needs in the physical sense. In the marketing and business sense, take some
of the equity money and hire a team of Harvard MBA grads to be the “face” of our
local and Federation and have them learn our recording and live contracts and
negotiating business then send them out to get the people on the other side
of the table to “like us” in order for them to start hiring us again.
Also get those MBA folks to figure out what needs to change with our existing
recording contracts in order to entice new clients and past resistant clients
to hire us again…but at least get them to get “the other side” to start talking
to us again – the answers to runaway recording are complex but not unsolvable…
I’m sick of seeing LA based composers taking “selfies” in front of the Abbey
Road Studio door step.
—————————————–
Why is the election board counting the Votes. If this is going to be counted
by hand why do we not have a separate recognized body to administer the
count. This vote is to important for inside counting or go back to old reliable
which just be unreliable.
We need a separate intervening body to do the count. We won’t get a second
chance.
So far the union has already decided to sell because there is no mention of
an alternative being offered?
If union minds are made up to sell, have the votes already been counted
before the election?????
[EC: Frankly, In our view there are several folks on the election board
who we consider above reproach. We’ve gone back and forth on this, but
our feeling is having the election committee count the votes is a safer bet
than an outside company that might not recognize the games our election
board would, and those with integrity on the election board have the back
bone to keep the others in line if necessary.]
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III. A LITTLE CLUB 47 HISTORY
It was always a rumor we heard since moving here that if the building were sold the
monies were supposed to be divided up between all the members of club 47, i.e.
members of Local 47.
In truth, according to our sources at the local, that is only true if the Local itself
is dissolved, not if the building is sold.
1972 CLUB 47 BYLAWS
Here is everything that is mentioned in the 1972 bylaws of Club 47 concerning
liquidation of Club Property:
—–
ARTICLE XI – DISSOLUTION
Section 1
This corporation cannot be dissolved as long as it has sixteen (16) members
or more, and then only by a three-fourths (3/4) vote of existing members.
Section 2
In case of Dissolution, any property or funds of this corporation (Club 47)
shall be given unconditionally to the Musicians’ Union, Local 47, American Federation
of Musicians, of Los Angeles, California.
—–
We do not know if the bylaws were adjusted between 1972 and 1992, but there are many
more details in the Bylaws amended in 1992.
According to our sources, the bylaws were amended in 1992 because of a conflict
between the bylaws and Franchise Tax Board rules.
—–
1992 CLUB 47 BYLAWS
ARTICLE IV
SECTION 2: Subject to Section 1, of Article IV, above, only the membership of this
corporation (Club 47) shall have the authority to authorize or approve the sale,
transfer or hypothecation of that real property, located at 817 North Vine St.,
Hollywood, California (Hereinafter “the property”), to which the Musician’s Club
currently holds title. Such authorization shall be obtained or granted only through
a mail referendum vote in which all members in good standing of the corporation
shall be entitled to vote.
Provided, however, that any such referendum to authorize the sale, transfer or
hypothecation of the property shall only be effective and binding upon the Corporation
should (1) 50% + 1 of the members on good standing of this corporation vote and (2)
of those 50% + 1 voting, a majority thereof vote in favor of approving, authorizing
or affirming any such proposed sale, transfer or hypothecation of the real property.
Provided, further, that only the Board of Directors of the Corporation, upon a duly
adopted resolution, may call for any such referendum through which the members
of this Corporation will be requested to approve and/or authorize the sale, transfer
or hypothecation o the real property.
Provided, further that notwithstanding Article XIV, Section 1, this Article IV, Section 2,
may only be amended if (1) 50% + 1 of the members in this Corporation cast a ballot
on the question of amending this Article IV, Section 2, and ; (2) of those 50% + 1
members who cast a ballot, a majority thereof vote to amend this Article IV, Section 2.
—–
That is the sum and total of the verbiage concerning the sale of the property in
the Club 47 bylaws, amended in 1992.
—–
THE COMMITTEE’S TAKE
We find it disturbing and rather intellectually dishonest that the local put out basically
a RA-RA let’s sell mailing to every member without including dissenting voices.
These voices should have been included or at least printed in the next overture.
And now we find out it’s already listed for sale?
As you can read from these pages, there are many members not happy with this
situation, but these will only be seen by those who are online.
To us there are far too many unanswered questions;
The basic info we’ve gotten is this:
1) They expect to sell the property for Approx. 18 million
2) Some 8 or 9 million will be used to buy new facilities
3) That will leave Local 47 solvent for the foreseeable future.
We want to know more however.
1) Who is the realtor for the Local?
2) Are they affiliated with the Local in any way shape or form? (They shouldn’t be.)
If the building sells for 18 million the realtor stands to make between 2% and 2.5% of the
sales price ($320,000 to 410,000 dollars) or even more if the percent has to be split
between two realtors.
3) Shouldn’t an independent arbiter tally the membership votes on this matter?
4) What specifically will the general membership get out of the sale?… and the huge profit
to be enjoyed by the local? (Free rehearsal rooms?; Free dues for members for some length
of time?)
5) Can the sale of our building be tied to either a reduction in the officers’ salary or
prevention of automatic salary increased until or unless the fortunes of the Rank and
File members appreciably improve? Certainly, NO OTHER EMPLOYEES should be laid off
unless and until Officer’s salaries have been reduced.
What questions do you have? Are you pro or con.
Whatever comment you send to us, please make sure you send it to the Overture as
well, and specifically demand it’s printing in the next edition.
We deserve a much more far reaching and balanced discussion before our building goes
up for sale.
The recent attempt to shut down the committee mailings speaks volumes about agendas.
THE COMMITTEE
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IV. ANSWER TO CRITICAL ANALYSIS
Response to: Critical Analysis
Assumptions and unsupported Facts: Yada, Yada, Yada….
The only one who needs to receive facts is the State’s Attorney.
Many musicians made changes for the better others aim was for
their own personal financial gains that embodied self absorbed
diluted personalities. They were the ones who chose to stand
in the way of professional musicians using the union’s elected
officials authority to cut down musicians while employing the
union to hide behind there deeds.
This is not apathy. What you have chosen to grandstand shows
a great degree of naiveté of Democracy and the Federal Government
and it’s ineffectiveness in the L47 confine.
Many of the Presidents behaved to suit a relative few misaligning
Democracy from within 47 making sure to keep others out. Just
following orders.
If you really believe the union represents all professional musicians
and that Democracy has been administered then a rude awakening
awaits to the realities of how L47 has operated for at least the last
thirty years. Lets call it deceit and deception.
Could all this Democracy be a culmination of reasons why they are
now forced to sell the building???? Lets see how this one plays out.
Everyone will be watching. Lets see how far people will attempt to
go to bend and misalign your Democracy.
Name Withheld
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V. COMMENTS
“In so many societies the elite made decisions that were good for
themselves in the short run and ruined themselves and the societies
in the long run.”
Sound familiar?
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