<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">In a message dated 3/6/03 10:35:27 PM Eastern Standard Time, charliehooks@earthlink.net writes:<BR>
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<BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Aside from symphony players, opera players, theatre players and what's left<BR>
of the studio guys now that synthesizers have taken their jobs, who the hell<BR>
does?<BR>
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The main influence the union seems to have on OKOM bands today is <B>preventing</B> them from playing in venues where they have influence with other employees. I could paint a picture that unions could provide a useful function of steering jobs to members...ie. a prepaid agent of sorts. However, the easiest thing is to sit back and wait for a member to complain about a non-union band playing at location -X- and then try to disrupt the contract. Generally speaking, the idea of a scale pay structure does not work with venues anymore. That's why the NY s <BR>
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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. That is what is needed in today's environment.<BR>
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<P ALIGN=CENTER></FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SCRIPT" FACE="Comic Sans MS" LANG="0">Bud Taylor<BR>
<B>Smugtown Stompers</B><BR>
Rochester, NY<BR>
Traditional Jazz since 1958</FONT><FONT COLOR="#000000" style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0"><BR>
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