802 Notes
802 Health Plan, Performance Rights,  Health Care  January 22, 2008
802 Health Benefits Plan
 
ENCOURAGING NEWS

There is encouraging news to report regarding the Local 802 Health Benefits Fund. For the first full benefit period following the Broadway contract settlement last March, most of the members who were on the union health plan have seen a marked improvement in their level of coverage.

For the October 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008 coverage period, the number of members who have qualified for either the new Plan A + coverage (530) or the old Plan A coverage (787) has jumped from 1163 to 1317, an increase of 154 members. The total number of members who now have vastly improved health coverage, either through the new Plan A+ or who are now able to make Plan A is 684. Adding dependents the total number who have seen these improved benefits comes to over 1300.

         Given the changes in the Local 802 Health Benefits Plan, HBP, it is important that you know how to calculate the health benefit contributions you should be receiving from various kinds of work. If you know the contributions required from different jobs, you can determine the plan level you can expect to achieve. You can also determine if your ability to make a certain level of coverage might be endangered by taking time off from one job to do something else.  For details on the various Plans you can go to the Local 802 website, and look for Health Benefits under Union Benefits and Services.

 

           Here are the contributions needed to qualify for the various plan levels per 6 month period. You may click on the chart to link to the desriptions of the benefits in the 802 plan.

 

 

contribution grid
CLICK ON THE CHART FOR BENEFIT DESCRIPTION
 

         The biggest improvements in health benefit contribution have come on Broadway. The chart below shows the number of Broadway shows required in a six-month period to achieve each level of coverage. Below that you can click on the link to see the contributions from other work.

 
Health contributions grid

CLICK ON THE CHART FOR BENEFIT DESCRIPTION

 
 
Dialing Up Justice
 
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Finally, performers have a chance at getting paid when their music is on the radio. The Performance Rights Act (H.R. 4789, S. 5200), introduced in mid-December, would give musicians the same right that songwriters and publishers now enjoying publications and release dates.

 

Most musicians know that when they hear music played on traditional over-the-air radio, only the songwriter or publisher gets paid. In Europe, musicians do earn royalties on radio play, but musicians in the U.S. don't earn a cent.

It's true that musicians now get paid when their music is streamed on Internet radio stations (Webcasting) or played on satellite radio. But standard radio (also called "terrestrial" radio) has never paid musicians. That's about to change, with your help.

 

Ever since sound recordings were made part of copyright law in 1972, the AFM has been trying to get a royalty for performers when music is played on AM and FM radio. With the introduction of the Performance Rights Act, our time has finally come to obtain a performance right in sound recordings.

 

This will not be an easy fight. The broadcasters are very powerful. That's why we urge you to click here to send a letter to your representatives in Congress. That way, they'll know that a musician who is their constituent will be affected by this legislation. Thank you very much for your help.

          

The AFM participates with other organizations in the effort to pass this legislation. A link to the Music First Coalition is below - check it out.

 
Music First Coaltion

Should you have questions or comments about 802 NOTES please don't hesitate to call Joel  LeFevre at 212 245-4802 x197 or send an e-mail to 802notes@local802afm.org

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America's Health
Heakth care petition large

 

    It's the right time for this fight. The current system isn't working- and it's getting worse. Today, rising,irrational health care costs are crippling families, companies and communities, while insurance and drug company executives are getting obscene pay-checks.  Here are the facts:

·   Premium costs are rising three times faster than wages or inflation;

·   Exploding costs are hurting working families;

·   Rising costs are hurting our employers' ability to compete;

·   As costs rise, more people are uninsured-some 47 million people in our country have no health coverage today;

·   Retirees especially are losing employer-sponsored health care;

·   Today's health care system is wasteful and inefficient;

·   Insurance and drug companies are pocketing obscene profits;

The majority of people in America want to fix our broken health care system

In this great country, no one should go without health care. The 2008 elections will give us the chance to show that Americans are ready for real change. Soon enough union concessions in bargaining will not be enough to keep health plans from becoming Swiss cheese.

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Axium Bankruptcy
 

Axium, the entertainment payroll company. announced bankruptcy recently. The view of Local 802 is that employers using Axium as their payroll agent are still responsible for delivery of wages and benefits earned. If you are holding or expecting an Axium check please contact the Local 802 Recording Department for assistance: 212 245-4802 x-162.