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Double Bass URGENT- DO NOT ACCEPT WORK FROM THE LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA, INC.

I'm passing along a very important message.
~ILIA


A message from Bruce Ridge, ICSOM Chariman:

TO: the musicians of ICSOM, ROPA, and OCSM
FROM: Bruce Ridge, ICSOM Chairman
SUBJECT: URGENT- DO NOT ACCEPT WORK FROM THE LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA, INC.

Dear friends and colleagues,

SPREAD THE WORD:

As we all know, the musicians of the Louisville Orchestra have been engaged in a lengthy negotiation with their management. They have repeatedly been threatened by their board with being replaced by other musicians. And now, after a final ultimatum, the Louisville Orchestra, Inc. has begun recruiting replacement musicians.

DO NOT ACCEPT WORK FROM THE LOUISVILLE ORCHESTRA, INC.

Both the Louisville Orchestra, Inc. and the Kentucky Opera have been placed on the American Federation of Musicians' (AFM) International Unfair List, and accepting work from these two groups could generate fines and penalties. But it is not just the Unfair List that should deter anyone from accepting this work--the fact is that it would simply be wrong to do so.

Any musician accepting such work would not be serving the cause of art in America, or serving their career and family. Musicians accepting work as replacements would be taking food out of the mouths of fellow musicians, as well as depriving them and their children of health insurance.

The members of ICSOM, ROPA, and OCSM comprise a great number of orchestral musicians in North America, and we have thousands of students. Please educate your students, and the leaders at your music schools, of the importance of this effort. If the egregious and despicable actions of Louisville Orchestra CEO Rob Birman, and Board Chair Chuck Maisch were to succeed, then no orchestra in North America would be safe from such attacks. Any musician accepting such work would be building a career on quick sand.

Please post this message in your studios, and please send it to your students everywhere, as well as the colleagues in your orchestra who might not be subscribed to the ICSOM, ROPA, or OCSM news lists. Post it backstage at work. Post it on your Facebook pages. Spread the message everywhere that the musicians of ICSOM, ROPA, and OCSM will always stand together.

The symphonic musicians of North America perform as a united network of friends. It is crucial that we stand together on this issue, not only for the musicians of Louisville, but for the future of musicians every where.

In solidarity,
Bruce Ridge ICSOM Chairman
 
So much damage has been done here. What has to happen for the orchestra to be off the "unfair" list? If your answer is "pay them in full"... It doesn't seem like that's going to happen. Its past that. I'm NOT siding with the management. It sucks there won't be music anytime soon... At least not by union musicians. No one wants to hear it, but this might spread to other cities. Too bad. Unions have been loosing their grip everywhere. Just ask teachers.
 
I don't know the situation but it sounds like a typical union v corporation dispute. Not that I'm siding with the management but you can't blame them for seeking cheap labor. Its their responsibility to keep fixed costs low.
Would you pay somebody $20 to fix your bass when the guy down the street will do it for $16?
 
I will pass this on to my fellow bassists in the Southeastern US.
In solidarity,
Roy Vogt
35 year member-American Federation of Musicians
31 year member-Nashville Musicians Association AFM Local 257
Shared this with 2000+ friends on my Facebook page. I invite others to do the same. Let's get the word out.
 
I'm curious as to what the qualifications are for an orchestra to be placed on the unfair list. According to the Louisville Courier-Journal website, in an article posted October 30, the AFM can fine its members up to $50,000 and/or expel them for playing with an orchestra on the unfair list. That's some pretty serious money for being a scab.
 
Geez. This notice is a tad overboard (hopefully if someone is considering the job, they would research it a little) but it has a lot of truth. The board simply has too much power over the media, public eye, and the budget. They are bound to screw you over too.
But Best of luck if you take the job. i guess ill seeya around.................
 
I don't know if the "Invalid Link Removed Us" page usually only includes the office workers and not the musician or if the orchestra players are not listed because of the labour dispute.

Either way, it certainly reflects the management's greatest interest.