Klarinet Archive - Posting 000084.txt from 2003/10

From: "Bryan Crumpler" <crumpletox@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Symphony on Strike!
Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2003 23:42:44 -0400

It's been all over the news, the papers, and radio for the past month so the
article I forwarded along was just one tidbit of everything that's been
going on. If you want more info... seek it out yourself. It was just
something I came across and felt like passing along at the moment.

Regarding the berzerk comment, they actually do run up and down the streets
uptown in front of the concert hall picketing, chanting, nagging people with
flyers and other propaganda... And small chamber groups get out there and
play a few things to get people's attention as the musicians march in
circles. It's definitely something that isn't common for the uptown
Charlotte atmosphere. The beggars don't beg, but rather sit on the benches
at trolley stops and simply hope people toss something their way (a new
yorker's dream perhaps). They demonstrate every day at noon in front of the
concert hall (the Bank of America headquarters uptown) when people get off
for lunch. Funny sight when it's burning 90 degrees and ppl dressed in
concert attire are decked out sweating like heated sausages in a microwave
and chanting GIVE US BACH OUR RIGHTFUL PAY!!! I don't know the avg salary or
what the cuts are per individual performer, but one thing is certain....
they get paid well enough to sustain themselves in Charlotte, which is
fairly inexpensive... this from a cellist friend who is not participating in
the demonstrations.

Charlotte.com has all the news if you want to look up other articles on the
subject over the internet...

B

http://www.whosthatguy.com

Date: Fri, 3 Oct 2003 10:49:41 -0500
From: "James Hobby" <jhobby@-----.net>
Subject: RE: [kl] Symphony on Strike!
Message-ID: <001801c389c5$fa955880$0301a8c0@jamesyxtdhim1a>

Well, that's certainly one of the most uninspired articles I've read. Have
there been other, in-depth, articles in the newspaper? Were I in the area,
I'd certainly like to know what "and other issues" referred to. What type
of pay cuts are they talking about? Would those cuts put the musicians at
risk; i.e., below the amount needed to sustain their way of life in that
area?

I'm glad the newspaper article didn't use the word, "berserk" -- or
"berzerk", as you spelled it. If it had, I would have assumed that your
newspaper was a division of the Enquirer. I had visions of the orchestra
running down the street, bassoonists beating pedestrians over the head,
string players garrotting passers-by, right and left, piccolo & oboe players
performing duets on the steps of city hall. <shiver>

All this, in fun. I often wonder how much benefit people derive from
striking. I saw a cost analysis done on one of the auto mfrg. companies in
the area that went on strike for seven months. The analysis, done by an
impartial accounting firm, demonstrated that the average worker would have
to work an extra 1,704 hours, just to make up what was lost during the
strike, before they would see any advantage in the increase in their base
salary. (Line workers made over $20 per hour, before the strike.)

I hope the SO takes care of its problems, and is able to get back to playing
music.

Jim Hobby

============

>From: "Bryan Crumpler" <crumpletox@-----.com>
>
>Just thought people would be interested in this. The Charlotte Symphony
>(where I live) has gone berzerk! They're on strike... and have been for
the
>past 4 weeks straight.

MSN Zoeken, voor duidelijke zoekresultaten! http://search.msn.nl

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