Klarinet Archive - Posting 000250.txt from 1996/02

From: Fred Jacobowitz <fredj@-----.EDU>
Subj: Re: Union/ Non-union?? Help?
Date: Fri, 9 Feb 1996 18:28:50 -0500

Scott,
Technically this is true. However, there is good reaason for it.
By taking a non-union position, you are usually a) playing for less than
scale, b) allowing employers to pay less than a living wage and thus,
depriving professionals of their livelihood, c) screwing your own chances
of being paid better in the future by those same employers who now feel
they can pay less for YOUR services. I know it seems somewhat
hard-hearted to say to someone who wants to have an orchestra/musical
group that they have to pay up, but look at it this way: Suppose you want
a car. Does that mean that dealers should come down in price just so you
can havestically little chance of being caught at it unless you're doing
something stupid like playing in a prominent spot. You can be kicked out
of the union for it. However, we do make exceptions, like for non-profit
fundraisers, etc. It is a personal choice and We try not to let it become
a habit, for reasons already stated. For more advice, ask your union!!!
They'll be pretty straight with you.

Fred

On Thu, 8 Feb 1996, Scott D. Morrow wrote:

> Last year I played in a pit orchestra at a local community theatre.
> I am not a union member, but since one of the musicians in the pit WAS, we
> all ended up getting paid twice as much as we'd originally been offerred,
> plus some overtime for rehearsals that ran late!
> However, I WOULD like to hear responses about the "down" side of union
> membership. My major fear about joining the union has always been that I
> would be restricted from performing in non-union situations. Is this true?
>
> -Scott
>
>
> Scott D. Morrow
> Department of Biochemistry
> School of Hygiene and Public Health
> Johns Hopkins University
> (410)-955-3631
>
> SDM@-----.edu
>