[Dixielandjazz] Re: Who Needs a Union?

[Dick Miller]

jazz_man at ix.netcom.com writes:
><snip>It might be interesting to hear from DJML'ers who are members of the
>musician's union and can attribute the union as to helping them actually
>land gigs.<end>
>
>Although I now belong to the Houston local I can report that after 50
>some odd years
>of belonging to Local 802 NYC:
>
>Local 802 has a welfare fund used to pay musicians to play at city
>functions,
>hospitals and the like. All one needs do is apply for a job and be a
>member.
>
>Cheers,
>Al

I'll vouch for that. I was an 802 member a million years ago ('60s). In
addition, the informal relationships among union members whom you met at
gigs was a source of further gigs. The union was particularly strong in
Staten Island, where I lived, to the point where waiters and such would
walk off the job if they found a non-union musician playing in a union
room. Not only that, the local representative made the rounds of the
various catering halls during gigs to make sure the sidemen on the gigs
were all members.

--Dick Miller