ICSOM’s long standing request for a department of the American Federation of Musicians devoted to symphony affairs was met for many years by the part-time attention of presidential assistants. Gil Rogers was succeeded briefly by Robert Crothers in 1969 and then by Ted Dreher. Upon Dreher’s retirement in 1982, AFM president Victor Fuentealba appointed Lewis Waldeck, the first full-time administrator of the AFM Symphony Department. In 1994, Lew Waldeck retired as administrator, and Florence Nelson was appointed Director of Symphonic Services by AFM president Mark Massagli. Upon Ms. Nelson’s election to the position of AFM Secretary-Treasurer in 2001, President Lee appointed Janice Galassi Director of the Symphonic Services Division. In March of 2004, Ms. Galassi was appointed Director of Organizing and Education. In July, 2004, following a national search, President Lee appointed SSD Canada Director Laura Brownell as Director of the entire Symphonic Services Division.
The Symphonic Services Division (SSD) offers assistance to Local Officers, Player Conferences, orchestra committees, and the general membership. The SSD serves as a primary resource to members during negotiations and assists with data collection, strategic planning and contract language. The SSD also provides assistance with contract administration, electronic media language and media projects, union security enforcement, dispute resolution, and audition questions.
The SSD also works alongside the Player Conferences to represent the symphonic membership of the AFM at the industry level. Relationships are developed and maintained with other cultural groups and agencies so that issues of common interest can be addressed in a concerted fashion.
A primary function of the SSD is to provide education to Local officers, committee leaders and rank and file members, to prepare them for the problems they may face during negotiations, union recognition elections, and management challenges to an existing collective bargaining agreement. Written materials are available from SSD, as well as from the AFM website, which clarify the various forms of collective bargaining, strike preparations, strategies for media and press coordination, and the labor laws covering primary and secondary boycotts. In addition, on-site workshops are available to train committees and Local officers and to assist with internal rank and file organization and media.
The SSD administers the Symphony Opera Orchestra Strike Fund and the ROPA Emergency Relief Fund. Currently there are sixty-five orchestras in the Strike Fund.
In the realm of symphonic electronic media, SSD continues to assist locals, committees, and managers in their media projects by administering national media agreements, working together with negotiating committees and their Locals in advising on contract media language, and determining the appropriate media agreement for proposed projects and assisting through the project’s completion.
In preparation for the publication of the AFM comparative Wage Charts, the SSD collates the information for all 139 orchestras in the Symphonic Players’ Conferences (50 in ICSOM, 69 in ROPA, and 20 in OCSM). In addition, the staff contributes articles to the International Musician and provides research as needed for local officers, the Symphonic Player Conferences, and newspaper editors.
The SSD also makes outside resources available to Locals. Ron Bauers continues to prepare financial analyses of orchestra budgets. Leonard Leibowitz is retained as counsel and provides legal advice, negotiating strategy, and assistance with arbitration preparation. Barbara Haig is retained as a public relations consultant to assist SSD and individual orchestras.
The AFM’s Symphonic Services Division works closely with orchestras, Locals and other AFM departments to best represent and advocate for symphonic musicians throughout the U.S. and Canada.
THE LOCAL OFFICER’S QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE
TO THE SYMPHONIC SERVICES DIVISION
The SSD staff is committed to assisting Locals and symphony orchestras. The staff offers a variety of services for both individuals and groups, including contract administration, assistance by telephone or on-site with negotiations, advice and support with grievances, workshops and training sessions, guidance with symphonic electronic media, as well as numerous informational handbooks.
NEW YORK STAFF
Laura Brownell, Director/Assistant to the President (ext. 1220)
Laura joined the SSD staff in 1994 and was appointed Director of SSD in 2004. She was an active committee member, negotiator, and OCSM delegate during her 12 years as a violinist with the Hamilton Philharmonic. She holds a Masters degree in Labor Relations and served as a consultant for several Canadian trade unions prior to joining the SSD staff. Laura's work with the SSD includes media communications and involvement in numerous industry-level initiatives as well as overseeing and coordinating the activities of the SSD.
Deborah Newmark, Director of Symphonic Electronic Media (ext. 1225)
Debbie has been on the staff of the AFM since 1996, serving as a Contract Administrator prior to her current position. She is also the administrator of the AFM Symphony-Opera Strike Fund. As a bass player, she is a long-standing member of the Long Island Philharmonic where she held the position of committee chair and ROPA delegate for many years. In addition to both Bachelor and Masters’ Degrees in performance from the Manhattan School of Music, Debbie has a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from Columbia University.
Christopher Durham, Contract Negotiator (ext. 1109)
Chris rejoined the AFM-SSD staff in January 1995. He has served as the Secretary of Local 2-197 in St. Louis, Vice-President of Local 103 in Columbus, Ohio and Trustee of Local 11-637 in Louisville, Kentucky. He was a violinist in the Columbus Symphony for 10 years and also served on ROPA’s Executive Board as a Member-At-Large. Chris continues to negotiate approximately 10 contracts a year.
Nathan Kahn, Contract Negotiator (ext. 1221)
Nathan has been a member of the SSD staff since 1988. He is founder and President Emeritus of ROPA. He is a bassist who has worked with such orchestras as the Colorado Springs Symphony, Nashville Symphony and the Tulsa Philharmonic. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Local 154. Nathan negotiates numerous contracts each year, including first-time agreements, assists negotiating committees with appropriate contract language and oversees symphonic auditions nation-wide through the AFM Symphony Audition Complaint Hotline.
Steve Gelfand, Contract Administrator (ext.1211)
A member of Local 802 since 1972, Steve has many years of experience as a freelance bass player on Broadway and on the recording scene in New York. He also has extensive experience in administering collective bargaining agreements and other union contracts. In recent years Steve has worked closely with colleagues at the AFM and Local 802 in the development of software programs that facilitate quick and accurate payments to musicians and generate reports of the work to the AFM and Local 802. Steve has served as a Contract Administrator in the Symphonic Services Division of the AFM since October of 2006 answering questions from local officers and AFM symphonic members on issues relating to the administration of collective bargaining agreements, bylaws, contract language, internal governance, comparative information, and other matters concerning AFM symphonic orchestras.
C.J. Glass, Administrative Assistant (ext. 1214)
Born, raised, and educated in Ithaca, NY, C.J. graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from Ithaca College in May of 2005. After moving to New York City and spending several months as a musician and in freelance production work with Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors and Jazz at Lincoln Center, C.J. joined the Symphonic Services Division of the AFM. When not in the office he may be found practicing guitar, bass, and drums or writing music in preparation for his next performance.
CANADIAN STAFF
Mark Tetreault, Director, Symphonic Services Division, AFM Canada (416-391-5161)
Mark joined the AFM Canadian Office as SSD Assistant in September 2004 and was appointed Canadian SSD Director in 2005. He has been Principal Tuba of the Toronto Symphony since 1986. Mark served on orchestra committees both in Toronto and Jacksonville, where he was one of the founding ROPA delegates. Mark was Secretary of the Toronto Musicians’ Association, AFM Local 149, from 1997-2003. His responsibilities now include most Canadian Symphonic matters.
Eline Brock-Sanheim, Associate Director, Symphonic Services Division, AFM Canada (418-655-4057 or 418-848-4911)
Eline has been playing professionally since 1988 and is currently the Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Quebec Symphony Orchestra. She has been advocating for the rights of musicians for the last 8 years, as President of her orchestra association and negotiating committee, and as 1st Vice-President of OCSM since 2003. Eline joined SSD Canada in January, 2006, and provides French-language services to orchestra musicians in Quebec.