Klarinet Archive - Posting 000372.txt from 2003/02

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Save Live Broadway
Date: Tue, 11 Feb 2003 18:28:44 -0500

At 10:08 AM 2/11/2003 -0500, Steve Hartman wrote:
>Kelly:
>
>I'm not sure I understand your point. Are you saying that without Union
>representation there would
>be more work AND most musicians would be making a better living than they
>are now? What 20% are you
>talking about? Work dues in New York are only 3%. It's much cheaper for
>a producer to pay a
>musician 10% more as an independent contractor than to pay Union
>scale: they don't have to pay
>pension or health benefits or payroll taxes. Of course, then the musician
>has to pay for those
>things (or not - hey, it's a free country) out of his/her own pocket.
>Imagine a Broadway show without the Union: The Producer's son-in-law, who
>happens to play the
>drums, is making $5000 dollars a week plus a share of the profits while
>the second violinist is
>getting $400 a week plus no benefits. What Juilliard-trained violinist
>wouldn't jump at the chance
>to make $50? And if there's a problem with working conditions you have
>two choices: quit or be
>fired.

As with many things, including alcohol, chocolate, even water, SOME of a
good thing is good, TOO MUCH of a good thing is BAD. The only question
here is really whether there is enough or too much UNION.

Bill Hausmann

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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