COMMITTEE: THE COMMENTS EDITION
I. MORE THREATS FROM PRESIDENT ESPINOSA/THE FINAL RESPONCE
II. MEMBER COMMENTS CONCERNING ESPINOSA THREATS.
III. RUNAWAY SCORING COMMENTS
IV. CONCERTS AND EVENTS
V. MORE GENERAL COMMENTS
Colleagues,
Firstly, please do not forget the Membership meeting Monday
April 28th at 7pm! The RMA seems to be working hard to get
their members there. This usually does not bode well for the
rank and file but only for themselves and the board. Ironically,
when the Rank and File attend, the things that happen are usually
good for the entire membership.
Please make plans to attend. We have to elect a new Trustee and
Election Board.
THE COMMITTEE
——–
There have been so many impressive and excellent comments
lately that we will give the disclaimer here. The comments are
marked clearly.
Bravo to those members who take the time to write!
The comments below and elsewhere in our offerings represent
the uncensored views of the readers and not necessarily those
of the COMMITTEE. In the faith that freedom of expression
allows for the birth and ascendancy of the most beneficial ideas,
all sentiments expressed are welcome, subject to the bounds of
good taste and decorum. If you disagree with an opinion expressed
by any contributor, we encourage you to rebut it here.
THE COMMITTEE
==============
I. CONCERNING MR. ESPINOSA’S LATEST
It would seem that Mr. Espinosa is implying the possibility of legal
action against the COMMITTEE. Unless he’s considering paying for
any such action out of his own pocket, he should make note of this
AFM Bylaw:
Article 5 – Section 71
Whenever the IEB has substantial reason to believe that a Local, or the
Local’s Officers or members, are (1) acting in violation of the AFM Bylaws,
(2) disobeying a lawful order of the Convention, the IEB, or the International
President, (3) mismanaging the Local’s financial affairs or otherwise conducting
the affairs in a fiscally unsound manner, or (4) ENGAGING IN ANY ACTIVITY
OR COURSE OF CONDUCT DETRIMENTAL TO THE WELFARE OR
INTERESTS OF THE AFM OR LOCAL, the IEB may place the Local in
trusteeship.
Food for thought.
———–
CONCERNING HIS THINLY VEILED THREAT TO ERROL AND BARBARA.
Having the Committee inform the membership that both Errol
and Barbara settled their lawsuits is no more a “sue-able” offense
than inferring that RMA-L.A. leaders are also the leaders of
the PMG, or reporting that President Espinosa was seen helping
a convicted Felon carry boxes of documents down the back stairs
late at night after the Felon’s firing, or inferring that our Officers
have been bent on destroying our valuable Member services departments.
That their lawsuits were settled is public record.
Mr. Espinosa’s own statement admits that those lawsuits were
indeed settled by #47 after all. No one spoke directly to Errol or
Barbara… Mr. Espinosa just made assumptions.
———–
ASSAULT ON THE CREDABILITY OF THE COMMITTEE
President Espinosa calls us a “so-called Committee.” So Called.
Hal’s statement that the Committee’s statements are “just made
up stories to suit their assault on the Local and its members” is
sad – doesn’t he realize that everyone who contributes to the
Committee blog IS a Member of our Local?… A WORKING
Member who is tired of the lack of representation for the majority?
In other words, Hal is choosing to turn a deaf ear to the problems
by pretending that no one blogging the Committee is a dues-
paying Union member. Riddle us this: Who else would care enough
to write?
IF the usually reliable sources who told us that Hal was in depositions
for a Fi-Core lawsuit were false, then we have already apologized.
We always strive to print the truth and will admit when mistakes
are made.
However, if it comes to light that our sources were correct, we
will expect an appropriate apology from President Espinosa.
WE CONSIDER THIS MATTER CLOSED
We will waste no more of our or our readers valuable time on it.
Mr. Espinosa received an apology where appropriate.
Let’s hear what members had to say…
II. MEMBER COMMENTS CONCERNING THE RECENT THREATS
TO THE COMMITTEE FROM PRESIDENT ESPINOSA.
———
Give them the apology they want. Dear Local 47, we
apologize for being a professional musicians in Los Angeles.
————-
Comm 47,
Best that no one person (including the editor) give a response to
such a lame communication. Re: Enough is Enough final…yada.
The Local leadership comes off really bad in the response. It is
important however, that all readers know, the “Committee” is an
ad hoc group of persons who engage to comment or seek information
(at any time). Anyone with a point of view, has and is welcome to
contact the site and communicate.
The answer to problems is not to limit speech, but seek more
speech. You only seek to identify the weaknesses in our leadership
that is complicit in causing the disintegration of our professional
environment in the workplace…. and I dare say in the eyes of the
public (that this administration has ignored).
Because the site has an editor, (active in seeing a fair and equitable
representation for all the “brotherhood”) you are easily identified.
Being a facilitator of free speech and exchange of ideas for the
benefit of the collective interest…seems to me, a protected enterprise.
Less is more.
Let them chase windmills!! The best case scenario is that there
will be even more from the elected leadership. Given what has
already been said…the saying holds true “people tend to eliminate
themselves”.
Patients is a virtue. Embrace it!! Have faith in your fellow members,
that they will see this attack for what it is and be dumbfounded
by Hal’s response.
————-
Dear Committee,
In the latest e-mail blast from Local 47 president Espinosa, he
sent a message demanding yet another retraction and apology;
as well as threatening legal action for the Committee’s e-mail
regarding a lawsuit in which he was allegedly involved. I’m not
writing you to make personal attacks or make statements as to
what the facts are in this case; but receiving his e-mail (which I
assume was received by every Local 47 member with an e-mail
address) made me stop and wonder: does Hal think the entire
Local 47 is ON the ‘Committee’? Why else would our “Instigator
In Chief” send the message to everyone in the Local instead of
demanding a retraction simply by sending an e-mail to just the
Committee.
Surely his knowledge of the Committee’s e-mails indicates he has
read them. And if he has, you would assume he can find the
“reply” button – i.e. he has the e-mail address to send his complaint.
No, instead, I open my e-mail and even though I am not on the
Committee, I am reading his message TO the Committee. Why?
I can only guess that he is trying to stir up resentment and
motivate other union members to pressure the Committee into
silence.
The Committee has already demonstrated its willingness to present
opposing viewpoints and make apologies where appropriate, but
this isn’t good enough for Hal. If our union president does not
stop using his political position for his own rants instead of union
business that applies to the membership as a whole, I will be
adding a new e-mail ‘filter’ to my in-box.
—————–
How very interesting.
Public figures like presidents of Unions cannot sue anyone for
such statements as “he’s been called into a lawyer’s office.”
If you had called Hal a child molester, that would be defamation
of character. But claiming he went to depositions doesn’t defame
his character.
Especially since he’s admitting the lawsuits, and that he’s had
some legal proceeding, but only denies the word “deposition.”
Hal may feel he has nothing to lose – that it can’t hurt his
political career to file personal lawsuits against Members. – it
WILL hurt his entire slate in December, and the resulting stink
will change the hearts of Members who are tired of the corruption
and just needed one more scandal to abate their fear of change.
————-
Hello ________,
There is nothing in the executive board meetings or any other
meeting that union officials have that should not be disclosed to
any union member. Local 47 President Hal Espinosa is at the
helm. He is ultimately responsible for how our union is run. His
demand for an apology is a smoke screen. I think he is a ••••[term
removed]. Prove it to us. Tell all. The only time Mr. Espinosa
responds to Resp Comm is when someone gets close to the truth
and he has to defend himself. But then again, he’s got our union
funds to do that with (is that legal?) He is spending legal fees to
defend his position as president and RMALA. Both those parties
are misspending union funds on legal fees that reek of politics.
The fact that the executive board was mute when asked by Mark
Sazer and Phil Ayling for money to mount a legal battle against
our AF of M is proof of that. The RMALA’s “olive branch” is only
being extended because they know they are in trouble with their
own membership. They are not interested in changes that would
include others outside their little clique. And they need to keep
their membership in line because we have a union meeting coming
up soon. It’s not because they are being nice.
So do you mean to tell me that after all our union president and
RMALA (controlled mainly by the one contractor) has done to try
to take over the AF of M, chase recording out of town, fine San
Diego dark date people $1,500.00 apiece, try to trash the referral
service, or suggest that if you don’t work full time as a player on
film scores you’re a hobbyist, etc. etc., they are now turning over
a new leaf? Give me a break. They are AFRAID. Fear is what drives
the RMALA leadership now. They don’t understand anything else.
It is what they use to control it’s own membership.
[EDITOR’S NOTE: As we have said before, “If the Board is doing
something they don’t want the members to know about, chances
are they shouldn’t be doing it.”]
==============
III. MEMBER COMMENTS CONCERNING RUNAWAY SCORING
Dear COMMITTEE
I completely agree with getting the other unions on board and
making the runaway produced films ineligible for American
Awards Ceremonies!
Jennifer Walton
———–
About your solutions to runaway scoring. You can’t force production
companies to work with us. Threatening to make them in-eligible for
awards will never work. Getting other unions to side with us
obviously isn’t going to happen. If we want to bring back work we
have to compete for it. We have to give the best product for the best
price, end of story. That is how the work was taken from us & that is
the only way we will get it back.
—————-
getting the no awards for any non-union work can work but it will
have to be with the RMALA and the AFM spearheading it to the
other unions so we “come with the lunch”
we would actually have to all work together –
——————
FYI Topic: BUYOUTS vs NON-BUYOUTS with the AFM.
Here are some facts regarding some music done under AFM contracts:
Videogames: no residuals based on sales. ever.
Direct to dvd: no residuals based on dvd sales. ever. This includes
ALL the Disney movies that go straight to dvd.
Soundtracks made up to 15,000 copies: NO NEW USE PAYMENT.
These days, virtually no soundtrack sells that many. They are
lucky to sell 1000 copies.
HBO or Showtime telefilms, or mini-series. When they go to dvd,
no re-use, and no residuals. Not many people know that.
Music recorded for movies, re-used in trailers and advertising
(even for different movies): NO NEW-USE. ever. Forever. The
composer gets paid again, but not the musicians.
Music licensed out to ringtones: no payment. Again, the writers
get residuals.
Music recorded for a rock band or singer: if re-used in a non-
signatory tv show or movie: No payment guaranteed, as they are
not obliged to pay if they are not a signatory.
Note that the top selling cd of 2007 was Josh Groban, recorded
with the London Symphony Orchestra.
here is a link, many Local 47 people involved.
http://noted.blogs.com/westcoastmusic/2007/12/josh-groban-noe.html
****So what is the big deal if there is a buyout. It just doesn’t
matter. Work is work and unless LA gets its act together, Seattle and
Eastern Europe, not to mention London, will be flush with work even
more than they are now.
Grow up people. If anyone from the AFM wants to contradict or correct
anything above, feel free.
—————–
To begin with I think it would clarify things to stop using the phrase
“runaway production.” No one is running away. What’s happening is
a function of marketplace mobility, period, and should be understood
that way.
Some claim that the DeCrescent/Rodder team is the world’s best.
Does it matter? I am going to say something now that is important
to understand: Markets don’t work on the basis of merit, they
work on the basis of productivity. Markets are competitive by nature.
To be a contender one must compete. Why would the marketplace
make an exception for musicians and recording?
No amount of collectivist or idealist thinking, e.g. unionism or
“let’s all get together for a common purpose,” will change the
fundamental reality: the mobility of the marketplace, which
inures to the benefit of the consumer, is the sovereign principle
of capitalism. Some musicians may believe that capitalism is
flawed or problematic — and maybe they’re right — but it is
nevertheless the economic system running the engines of global
markets today. And make no mistake: we live in a global marketplace.
Entrepreneurial captalism functions through the mechanism of
individuals making market decisions, not collectives making
collective decisions. This creates problems for collectivist
institutions like unions. Restricting an individual’s discretion to
make a market decision requires restricting his liberty to make
that decision, and individuals will rarely give up that liberty
completely. The question is how much liberty will they give up to
the collective? The answer may vary depending on many variables
including, obviously, one’s economic viability and one’s commitment
to the institution. It follows that market activity can and will
produce tension between the interests of the collective and those
of the individual. Individual interests may be divergent from
institutional interests. This divergence sometimes leads to
hypocrisy if individual action in the marketplace is in conflict with
a collectivist policy one purportedly supports, or when an institution
pursues institutional interests which do not serve the interests of
individual members. This dynamic is so common in a union context
it is often overlooked and is basically considered irreconcilable.To
bring this home: individuals understand that flexibility is a
necessity. Flexibility is a larger problem at an institutional level.
The global marketplace of today requires that our institutions
change — if they are to survive. Either we help shape the future
or we will be shaped by it.
In my opinion the union must allow more buyout options. There
has to be a productivity incentive to record in LA. LA must
compete. And we should forgo penalizing people for trying to
work — that is a lose/lose policy.
Rick Blanc (please attach name)
————–
VI. CONCERTS AND EVENTS
USC JAZZ CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM KIM RICHMOND
Dear fellow L.A. Musicians,
I would like to invite you to a performance worth noting. As many
of you know, I teach part time as an adjunct instructor at USC
(instructing ensembles, teaching saxophone and composition),
and this semester I am conducting the USC premiere large jazz
ensemble, the Thornton Jazz Orchestra. This coming Thursday
the Thornton Jazz Orchestra, together with one of my student
combos and one taught by Jacques Voyemant is doing a concert
at Ground Zero coffee house on the USC campus. I invite you to
attend.
WHAT: Final Spring semester concert by the USC Thornton Jazz
Orchestra, the Kim Richmond student jazz combo, and the
Jacques Voyemant student jazz combo.
WHEN: this Thursday, April 17, 7 PM (Voyemant group), 8:15
(Richmond combo), 9:30-10:30 (TJO)
WHERE: Ground Zero coffee house, USC campus
Featuring: Combo arrangements by students, large ensemble
compositions by Kim Richmond, Matt Rubin, Adam Bravo, Sam
Gendel, Justin Morell, plus others
COST: FREE concert, parking $8
Address: 615 Child’s Way – Los Angeles, CA 90089.
————
LOS ANGELES BAROQUE PLAYERS
featuring
Adriana Zoppo, Viola d’Amore
April 18 8pm and April 20 2:30 pm
TRINITY LUTHERAN CHURCH
997 East Walnut St. 655 North Bundy Dr.
Pasadena Brentwood
Music by: Vivaldi, Marcello, Albrechtsberger Telemann, Milandre,
& Anna Bon di Venezia
Tickets $15/$20
Call: (323) 254-9613
www.harpsichordcenter.com
———-
CONCERT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM COMPOSER DAN REDFELD
Hey everyone,
Just a reminder that on Sat., April 26th, at 8 pm, Ensemble Green
will be premiering my new work, Vineyards, at the
PASADENA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC
100 North Hill Ave,
Pasadena, CA 91106
TICKETS AND INFORMATION
www.ensemblegreen.com or 1(323)2585161
Tickets are $10 and $20.
————-
IV. OTHER, MORE GENERAL COMMENTS
CONCERNING the LINK TO THE COMPLAINT AGAINST THE LOCAL
————
that link isn’t good anymore (at least at this moment)
I did a search on that website and this was what I got..
http://www.nrtw.org/search/node/musicians+unions
————–
I would like to bring attention to the fact that RMALA
has not one link on their site connecting them with Local 47.
There is no mention of Local 47 anywhere on their web site.
It’s as if the other 6,000 union members don’t exist. Yet, Local
47’s web master found the time to put a ‘link’ in with the Referal
Service but did not reciprocate by putting a link for the Referral
Service on the RMALA web site. This is the work of the RMALA
top leadership, not the rank & file member who is scared of
losing their work as a result of political activism aka freedom of
speech without fear of retaliation. It is a perfect example of
RMALA aka PMG leadership demonstrating what a “kinder, gentler”
RMALA will be like in the future. RMALA wants to distance itself
from Local 47. They don’t even have meetings at Local 47 anymore.
It is an organization that should be UNDER the jurisdiction of 47.
[Humorous though personal attacks on the RMA Webmaster
removed]. I noticed that Local 47’s attorney Lou Levy is on the
Advisory Board for RMALA. Given the state of politics at the union,
that might be a slight conflict of interest.
[Editor’s Note: We’ve gone to the RMA website and indeed we
could find no link to Local 47 there. We did not go through every
single page but we dug deep enough to note that it was not easily
found. While they do not have to mention anything having to do
with non-rma members, we also think it untoward that there is
no mention or link anywhere on their site that we could find
linking to Local 47. After all, the RMA would not exist if not for
the Local.
Concerning Mr. Levy: We too find it a conflict of interest for him
to serve on the advisory board of the RMA. Should there be a
conflict between these two organizations, where would his
loyalties lay. (Not a charge, just a question)]
————-
“Dear Committee,
For those who think that all of these letters are written by the
‘Committee’, I would first like to state that I am NOT a member
of the ‘Committee’. I am one of the thousands of readers that is
tired of the slander and accusations coming from our Local 47
board and those sympathetic with their past and present behavior.
I am also stating that I am a Local 47 full-member in good
standing and that I will NOT be providing my name – which again,
does not automatically make me a member of the ‘Committee’!
For the benefit of those who selectively read these e-mails and
only remember those comments that are offensive to them and
not the rest; and for the benefit of Paul Castillo and those who
read his letter in the February 2008 issue of ‘Overture’, I am going
to explain why I and those who are members of the Committee
choose to remain anonymous. By the way, the Committee on
more than one occasion has published its reasons for remaining
anonymous.
The first place to start is to ask why the Committee exists. My
understanding is that they exist as a response to what they and
thousands of Local 47 members feel are unfair policies, wasted
dues money, reduced services, and poor administration of union
business by our board; and those who are operating unfair or
potentially illegal sub-organizations within our union. Many
union policies favor those who do well in this business and have
political influence in the union, while simultaneously disadvantaging
the rank and file – I know – I’ve been to the meetings! Second,
one only needs to remember the nasty e-mails that have been
flowing from the President’s office – starting before he was re-
elected and continuing to this day – which attack members of the
Committee personally, and have slandered opposing candidates
in elections. I don’t need the Committee to publish that info – it
came directly from the President’s office. Third, I have also read
Overture articles and received e-mails from the board stating
that Fi-Core or Beck Status musicians are union-busting scabs,
when the NLRB states this as a legal option for union musicians.
For the board to attack Fi-Core musicians who are financing the
union and paying their salaries (paying roughly 85% of their dues
as required by this status) goes way beyond their role as union
officers. I have heard numerous stories of contractors not hiring
Fi-Core musicians in favor of full-membership musicians – an
illegal practice, as Fi-Core musicians are legally able to work
union dates. Fourth, we all know of the board’s attempt to chase
non-union scoring sessions out of town and/or prevent the
sessions from taking place. They often publish the names of
those they are attacking in e-mails and Overture columns,
potentially damaging their reputations in the process.
With all of this intimidation and propaganda coming from our
union officials, is it any wonder why the Committee or a reader
of their e-mails, knowing that union officials are reading them
too, wants to keep their identity hidden? If you ask me, requiring
the Committee or readers to provide their names would certainly
jeopardize their reputation in union circles and their livelihood as
well. The Committee has actually provided an incentive for those
who would otherwise remain silent about their concerns to come
forward without fear of attacks from union officials.
Just my 2 cents,
The Invisible Man”
==========
COLLEAGUES,
Please don’t forget the meeting this April 28th, 7pm at the Local.
We’ll be electing a new election board and someone to replace
Michael Grego as Trustee.
You can only make a difference if you are there.
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47.