Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM

Anyone want to join me in trying to persuade the Local 802 Musicians union to be more proactive rather than reactive? I dunno, I see and hear so much dismay about the union, I feel that it is time for the 802 to get serious about fixing issues rather than just doing their usual job of patchwork. It has been so hard watching everything fall apart in NYC. Really one of the questions asked of me by the union was whether or not chamber music should become unionized work. Really??? come on now. Chamber Music needs to remain flexible in order for it to work. Don’t get me wrong, I think that the union is essential, but there needs to be quite a bit more thought put into the steps needed to achieve success across the board. We need to think about future generations of musicians, not just ourselves. Where are our students going to work? We needed to think about this issue 20 years ago.

Okay, so get this: Last week I was just about ready to start teaching when my phone rang. The following conversation (in a nutshell) ensued:
I: Hello?
He: Steve M_​_​_​_​? (Uses my real last name)
I: May I ask who’s calling?
He: This is K.C. _​_​_​_​_​. (I left out his real name)
I: And this is in regard to???
He: Well, I’m with Musicians’ Union Local 802 and it’s come to our attention that you’ve posted a less than flattering review of our union on the Unilocal website and we’d like to invite you down for a talk about your review and to determine how we can better meet your needs.
I: Unilocal is an anonymous website. How do you know it was I who posted the review?
He: Well, you were identified by your photo.
I: Have you ever met Steve M_​_​_​_​before and do you know what he actually looks like?
He: No, but you were identified by our members.
I: Really??? Who were the members who identified me as this person?
He: Well, um, ah, we’re not really at liberty to reveal… but blah blah blah, BS BS BS.
I: Well, I’m familiar with the review but sorry, you’ve got the wrong Steve M.
So they want to invite me down for an honest chat to see how the union can better meet my needs, but they’re first tracking me down in a sneaky manner and then when I ask who identified me they clam up and refuse to answer? Yeah, right — sounds like they really have my best interests at heart, are very earnest and want to put all the cards on the table in order to help me out and make my union experience the best it can be. Sounds pretty disingenuous. Sounds more like the KGB or the STASI, if you ask me! I was literally shaking for about a half an hour after having received this disturbing call out of the blue from the union.
If they want to be so up front and out in the open, why the sneakiness and subterfuge? If you’re sincere, why not be completely honest and forthcoming? At least they didn’t invite me down to a construction site where fresh cement was being poured for a «talk».

Wow. I just sat in with a rehearsal Big Band at Local 802 and had a great experience. Don’t drink the koolaid of the other cats giving such poor reviews on here. Yes, it’s challenging eking out an honest living as a Musician in New York City, but the same could be said of any city.
In the band I playe with today, I found a welcoming environment provided by musicians of a very high caliber reading charts together and carrying the torch for Big Band music (that is becoming something of an anachronism in modern day New York). One of the trombonists in the section I played in is a legend for me, seeing as I’ve been hearing him on recordings for years now. What an honor to sit in with these supportive gentleman. Heck, I may even join if I have another experience like the one this afternoon!
I guess the bottom line here is very Kennedy-​esque, «Ask not what your union can do for you. » Isn’t the very premise of a union solidarity? What have you done to support this end?