[Dixielandjazz] [!! SPAM] Re: FW: Musician's Club

[philwilking]

The background for this is that I am a retired United Airlines pilot, which 
is a union position.

As for not seeing the employer's side, it's worse than that around here, 
they aren't willing to see to their own long term interest.

I am an AFM member, more to endorse trade unionism than in any real hope of 
getting work through the local. I went to another local AFM meeting a few 
weeks ago and once again heard the same old complaints: ever fewer venues, 
ever lower wages, no respect, how the so-called "jazz" festivals have very 
little jazz and little of that little is by local musicians, etc.

I finally couldn't stand it any more and stood up to speak. I pointed to the 
sign on the wall and reminded everybody that it reads "UNION," and that that 
has meaning. I reminded them that the local could jump through all the hoops 
with National to start a job action and throw up a picket line which 
Teamsters Union and stage hands' union members shouldn't cross (no 
deliveries [no beer at a festival?!?!?!], no stage setups) and so on. So 
there is something which could be done to remedy the problems if the 
complainers are willing to put out the effort. (I didn't phrase it quite 
that way, maybe I should have.)

All I got were blank looks of incomprehension - I could have been speaking 
ancient Sumerian as far as they were concerned, so I sat down and everyone 
went back to complaining among themselves as if I had never interrupted 
them.

PHIL WILKING

Those who would exchange freedom for
security deserve neither freedom nor security.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marek Boym" <marekboym at gmail.com>

>> >and then to complain about low wages without doing much of anything 
>> >about
>> that either.
>>
>> That is the main occupation of the "employed", and it is very hard for 
>> them
>> to see the "owner's side" of any argument.  Musicians fall into this
>> category in a big way.
>>