802 NOTES: the electronic newsletter of Local 802

This edition: Dec. 10, 2014

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Before we ring in the New Year, here's a chance to aid a member in dire need (and get an end-of-year tax break for your thoughtfulness!)

Will you help the Local 802 Musicians' Emergency Relief Fund continue its work on your behalf?

Dear musician,

Yes, the holidays are here, and while most of us are thankful to have survived another year in this tough business, many other colleagues are not so fortunate. For those members of Local 802 in dire need, your donation to the Local 802 Musicians' ERF supports a unique & dedicated safety net -- one created for musicians and funded by musicians.We are taking care of our own!

Whether the problem is one of serious illness, homelessness, addiction, alcoholism, family & relationship crises, or the sustained loss of income, the ERF and the office of our Musicians' Assistance Program (MAP) are ready to help.

Completely confidential services for members and their families are available at MAP without charge. Money to directly pay doctors, landlords, utilities, and other creditors comes in the form of grants from the ERF.

It takes a lot of cash to make this all happen and the need has never been greater!

Your tax-deductible donation is critical to our mission.

Any amount you may choose is deeply appreciated. Your generous gift to the ERF will be recognized on our list of supporters (with your permission, of course) on the new ERF website.

Please support us now by clicking here. (Or click on this button below:)

You may also send your check, payable to "Local 802 Musicians' ERF" to: Emergency Relief Fund, Attention: Andy Schwartz, Local 802, 322 West 48th Street, New York, NY 10036

Happy holidays on behalf of the ERF and all the musicians it has helped!

Thank you,

Andy Schwartz, Fundraising Coordinator

Local 802 Musicians' Emergency Relief Fund

P.S. Are you planning your estate? Will you please consider the ERF in those plans? Contact us to discuss this important legacy gift!

Any other questions on donating to the ERF? Click here to send us an e-mail.

NO ROYALTY DEAL BELOW 50 PERCENT FOR ONLINE MUSIC!

Online music services have transformed the music industry, but performing artists are not getting their proportionate share from revenues. A 50-50 sharing of online revenues with record producers certainly meets these criteria. Currently, this is far from being the case. The share performing artists receive from online uses is neither fair, nor proportional to its value, nor balanced with other contributors. This situation must be remedied. New frameworks must be imagined, developed and promoted in order to establish an environment that is as fair to performers as to the other parties concerned, including consumers. To this end, the participants of the International Federation of Musicians conference on online music held in Budapest on November 20-21, 2014 call upon performers and their representatives to join them in creating the widest possible coalition of artists aiming to achieve fair, proportional and balanced remuneration for the online use of their performances by all appropriate means supported by their community.

Click HERE to learn more about the campaign!

AFFORDABLE HOUSING ALERT!

Looking for an apartment in New York City close to entertainment industry employment? Hunter's Point South Crossing and Hunter's Point South Commons in Long Island City feature brand new moderately priced rent stabilized apartments. Learn more and apply by clicking here.

The application deadline is December 15, 2014.

USE YOUR MUSIC TO TEACH IN THE NYC PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

Do you want to use your music to enrich the lives of public school children -- while getting paid? The Actors Fund has come up with a very creative way for musicians and other artists to do part-time teaching gigs in the New York City public schools. It's not without some fine print, but it just might turn out to be a positive experience for you and a way to increase your income. Want to know more? Click here.

MANAGING YOUR MUSIC CAREER

A FREE WORKSHOP IN THREE MOVEMENTS

Who: Professional musicians of all genres (union affiliation NOT required)

What: An overview of resources and strategies available to working musicians in New York City. Expert facilitators will also focus on building presentation skills and maximizing the power of social media to network and find jobs.

Where: Local 802

When: Jan. 14, Jan. 21 and Jan. 28 (all Wednesdays), each from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

How: To guarantee a spot, reserve by Jan. 7 by clicking here. Limited same-day registration available

Presented by the Musicians' Assistance Program and The Actors Fund Work Program

HEALTH UPDATES

Open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is Nov. 15 to Feb. 15. Start by clicking here to go to HealthCare.gov.

FREE FLU SHOTS FOR MUSICIANS

The Actors Fund is offering free flu shots to musicians and other entertainment professionals this fall and winter. Dates and times of the shots are:

TODAY! -- Wednesday, Dec. 10 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

and

Friday, Dec. 19 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The location is the Al Hirschfeld Free Health Clinic, 475 West 57 Street (corner of 10th Avenue). Please bring your union card. Appointments are not necessary. For more info, call (212) 489- 1939 and press option 3.

LAST CHANCE TO JOIN LOCAL 802 AT A DISCOUNT!

If you have any colleagues who haven't joined Local 802 yet for whatever reason, now is the time! We are waiving our initiation fee for all new members who join the union between now and Dec. 31. Now there's every reason to join the largest and strongest musicians' union in the world. Call the Membership Department at (212) 245-4802 for more information or to join now. PASS ALONG THIS INFORMATION TO YOUR FRIENDS...CLICK THE LINK BELOW!

MUSICIAN ALERTS: BEFORE YOU TAKE THESE GIGS,
GET THE FACTS!

1. If you get called to play with recording artist Jackie Evancho, please click here!

2. If you get called to play with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, please click here!

3. If you get called to play with the South Florida Symphony (formerly the Key West Symphony), please click here!

Hearing services for musicians: www.EastSideHearing.com

Click the ad above for more details. Tell them you saw their ad in the Local 802 electronic newsletter! To advertise, click here.

Musicians: do you have a legal concern? Click the link below to reach Local 802's lawyer Harvey S. Mars:

Click the ad above for more details. Tell them you saw their ad in the Local 802 electronic newsletter! To advertise, click here.

To respond to this newsletter directly or to give any comments, click here

To reach Local 802 by phone, call (212) 245-4802. For more information on our services and departments, see www.Local802afm.org

Paid ads in 802 NOTES support your union and keep your costs down. You can advertise here and reach thousands of your peers. E-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org for more information.

Local 802 AFM

322 West 48th St
New York, NY 10036
(212) 245-4802

Mikael Elsila is the editor of Allegro magazine and the 802 NOTES electronic newsletter. He can be reached at: Allegro@Local802afm.org

IMPORTANT CHANGE IN LS1 CONTRACTS: THE DUE DATES ARE NOW JANUARY 16, 2015 and July 15, 2015 for the health fund's new eligibility periods, which have been changed to 3/1/15 and 9/1/15. For the full information, click here to read the bulletin as published in the December 2014 issue of Allegro.

THE DECEMBER ISSUE OF ALLEGRO IS ONLINE NOW

Great news: Allegro is number one! Our publication won first place for general excellence in its circulation class among all other labor publications in New York City -- and second place in the entire nation! These annual labor journalism contests are sponsored by the International Labor Communications Association and its New York City chapter.

TAX TIPS FOR MUSICIANS
How do you "depreciate" your instrument to reduce your taxable income? Click here!

Click above to watch a video exposing Guitar Center's union-busting tactics

SUPPORT WORKERS AT THE GUITAR CENTER

Workers at the Guitar Center continue to fight to improve their wages and working conditions. Do you work at Guitar Center or know someone who does? Click here to contact a Guitar Center organizer or call (212) 684-5300 to join the campaign. All responses are confidential. Guitar Center is hiring divide and conquer union busters workers are standing stronger than ever. Check out this video that the workers from Chicago put together on the anti-union tactics that Guitar Center used at their store and share it on social media! Thanks for the continued support!

ALLEGRO CLASSIFIEDS

Do you want to see the BEST DEALS on used instruments and other services for musicians? Click here to check out the Allegro classifieds. To purchase a classified, click here.

WATCH OUT FOR AUDITIONS ON BROADWAY!

It has come to the attention of the Theatre Department that some Broadway musicians and substitute musicians are being asked to audition for theatrical productions on Broadway. Auditions are not allowed for Broadway shows without the full cooperation and notification of the Local 802 Executive Board. If you are asked to audition for any position on a Broadway show, contact the union immediately. Auditions have only been allowed in the past under very special circumstances after approval of the Local 802 Executive Board and only if the appropriate wages, including pension and health benefit contributions, are made to the musicians involved. Please let us know immediately if you are asked to audition on Broadway. Your anonymity and confidence will always be respected and ensured. Call (212) 245-4802 and ask for the president's office or the Theatre Department.

THE UNFAIR LIST: DO NOT PERFORM FOR THESE EMPLOYERS!

The current AFM UNFAIR LIST can be found here.
AFM musicians are prohibited from working for these employers.

Also, if you get called to play with Jackie Evancho, the Miami Symphony or the South Florida Symphony, see warning box elsewhere on this page!

This is a graphic of the symbol for health care

LOCAL 802 ANNOUNCES IMPORTANT CHANGES TO ITS HEALTH PLAN

MUSICIANS: GET HEALTH INSURANCE UNDER OBAMACARE?

DO YOU CONTRACT MUSICIANS? IF SO, YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT LOCAL 802'S BRAND-NEW...

CONTRACTOR'S CHECKLIST

Click here to read it now.

Have you visited the Local 802 FACEBOOK PAGE yet?

If not, you've missed out on exclusive stories and announcements.

Get special tips, and network with other musicians on our Facebook page. Click here to get started.

LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

Did you know that there's a housing project for musicians where the rent is only $635 a month? Click here to learn more!

CAN MUSICIANS GET UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS?

If you are a Broadway musician and your show closes, can you apply for unemployment? Yes. While you are collectingunemployment, can you sub on other Broadway shows, teach lessons, and play other freelance gigs? Yes, but your unemployment check may be reduced.

What if you're a club date musician and your leader or office hasn't booked you on a wedding gig in months? Can you apply for unemployment in that case?

For the answer to that question and more information on musicians and unemployment benefits, click here to read a story written by Local 802's counsel Harvey Mars with the Workers Defense Fund.

WANT TO HELP MUSICIANS, MAKE CONNECTIONS AND HAVE FUN?

Interns at Local 802 make a tremendous impact on the lives of musicians while gaining valuable experience and connections. You or someone you know can help us make a big difference. The union is now accepting applications for interns. Spread the word and click here for more information!

NEED FINANCIAL AID?

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND?

The Emergency Relief Fund helps musicians in need. Financial assistance is provided in the form of a directed grant to the musician's creditors; for example, to a landlord, physician, etc. The eligibility requirements are:

A minimum of two years' membership in the union;
Union membership in good standing, with all dues paid;
"Dire need" as defined by the fund's trustees. This can include: threat of gas, electric or telephone cutoff; eviction; medical debts; costs incurred due to the theft of instruments; auto repairs vital to continued employment; and other emergencies.

To apply, contact the union's social worker Siena Shundi by clicking here or calling (212) 245-4802, ext. 180. Siena can also help you apply for other financial help from sources like the Actors' Fund and other relief organizations.

Click the ad above for info.

JAZZ JAM!

There is a jazz jam on most Mondays at Local 802 (322 West 48th Street), from 7 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, call Joe Petrucelli at the Jazz Foundation of America at (212) 245-3999, ext. 10, or click here.

DO YOU HAVE MONEY WAITING FOR YOU?

Somtimes the union may have a check in your name, but no way to get it to you because your address is outdated. To see if there's money waiting for you, click here.

Paid ads in 802 NOTES support your union and keep your costs down. You can advertise here and reach thousands of your peers. For more information, click here.

Click the ad above for info.