[Dixielandjazz] Musicians As Private Contractors

[Larry Walton Entertainment]

Ginny - That's pretty much true today.  I joined the Memphis local about 
1959 and I acquired a booking agent.  That agent kept me working through 
college.  I moved to St. Louis and transferred my membership.  At that time 
there were about a half dozen guys in the union that were bookers and I 
started working for them until I formed a band and found out I was black 
listed among the bookers and one actually fired me off the stand at a job. 
That was the day my name showed up as a band leader in the news letter.

At that time you could put your name on a list for the weekend and leaders 
would call you.  That was pretty neat.  I then booked my own jobs after 
that.

Then the 70's came along and there was still a lot of wedding business but 
union jobs were drying up.  My wife forgot to send in my dues and I got 
suspended sometime in the mid 80's.  When I went to get back in they wanted 
lots of bucks to get back in and I didn't have the money.  I got a job with 
a popular wedding band and found out that I could play anywhere in town 
including union halls without being in the union.

I did rejoin the union in the late 80's and worked with a couple of bands 
and the circus but when the contract was cancelled for the circus there just 
wasn't any point.   I did stay in awhile longer for a band that I still play 
with who's leader wanted everyone in the union.  When he said hell with it I 
did too.

I have made above scale since the 70's and really don't need them.  There 
are virtually no OKOM musicians that are in the local.

Over the years the local and it's services to gigging musicians has faded 
with the decline in available jobs especially weddings.

The union is still a good thing for some musicians but not people like me.
Larry
St.L
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Gluetje1 at aol.com>
To: "Larry Walton" <larrys.bands at charter.net>
Cc: <dixielandjazz at ml.islandnet.com>
Sent: Sunday, January 01, 2012 10:20 AM
Subject: Re: [Dixielandjazz] Musicians As Private Contractors


> Interesting.  I have no direct experience, but have long  been  told that
> in St. Louis the local musicians union primarily serves members or 
> adjunct
> members of the St. Louis Symphony.  I do know (if I can trust local  news 
> at
> all) that the only musician and union items that make the news are  always
> in regard to the symphony.  Many other area professional musicians  have 
> said
> to me that the perceive little to no benefit will come to them from
> membership.
>
> Ginny
>
>
> In a message dated 12/31/2011 10:52:07 P.M. Central Standard Time,
> rsr at ringwald.com writes:
>
> http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/30/labor-board-rules-local-symphony-
> musicians-can-join-union/?test=latestnews#section-content
>
> --Bob  Ringwald
>
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