“The leadership team of the New York local of the musicians’ union—the union’s largest local in the nation—was voted out of office on Tuesday,” writes Michael Cooper in Wednesday’s (12/5) New York Times. “It was the first contested election in nine years at Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians…. Adam Krauthamer was elected president with 67 percent of the vote, beating Tino Gagliardi, who has held the post for nine years…. The American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund, a multiemployer plan representing thousands of musicians around the country, has grown so underfunded that it may decide to reduce benefits in the future. The crisis has led to renewed activism by musicians…. Mr. Krauthamer [said] that many musicians were … worried that the large New York local was … growing out of touch with the needs of a new generation of musicians. Several … ensembles … have opted not to unionize in recent years…. Mr. Krauthamer … said … that while protecting and improving existing contracts … was important, the union needed to [come] up with more flexible contract frameworks that could be ‘available to musicians that don’t typically fall into the traditional union mold.’ ”
Posted December 6, 2018
