Resolution #1—Conference Dedication
Whereas, Some of the most important contributions to the International Conference Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM), the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), and the quality of the working lives of musicians in general, have been made by men and women who could not play a note of music; and
Whereas, Many of these men and women have, nevertheless, marched to the beat of the same drummer in other respects; and
Whereas, One of those “legends” of the labor movement was Bill Roehl, a gifted and dedicated trade unionist who understood that musicians were workers as well as artists, and in recognition thereof gave of himself to further the goals and aspirations of ICSOM and its constituent orchestras in ways he knew best, that is—the traditions and practices of true and honest trade unionism; and
Whereas, The current structure of the Player’s Conferences and their relationship with the American Federation of Musicians was formulated from the vision and creativity of Bill Roehl; and
Whereas, This past year saw the untimely passing of this mentor and friend; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference hereby express their esteem and gratitude for all he gave us, and do herewith dedicate this 2006 Conference to the memory of Bill Roehl, may he rest in the peace and tranquility he so richly deserves.
Submitted by the Governing Board and adopted by unanimous consent
Resolution #2—Richard Totusek
Whereas, In the numerous and important positions he held throughout the years, Richard Totusek was first and foremost a valued friend of symphony musicians, as well as musicians in all fields of endeavor; and
Whereas, His services as President of Local 105, Vice-President of Local 47, Honorary Parliamentarian of Local 369, and parliamentarian extraordinaire at many ICSOM and ROPA Conferences were sensitive, insightful, and truly valuable; and
Whereas, His good humor, intelligence, and devotion to the causes of musicians everywhere will be sorely missed; and
Whereas, The many ICSOM delegates and officers who knew Richard Totusek mourn his passing; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference express their condolences to his wife and family, and posthumously name him Parliamentarian Emeritus of ICSOM, and, be it further
Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be framed and presented to Ms. Joan Totusek as a token of their respect and admiration for her husband and devoted friend of musicians of the USA and Canada.
Submitted by the Governing Board and adopted by unanimous consent
Resolution #3—ICSOM Counsel Retainer
Whereas, Distinguished ICSOM Legal Counsel (“DILC”) Leonard Leibowitz has served ICSOM and its member orchestras for nearly 35 years; and
Whereas, The access member orchestras have to Counsel is exceptional; and
Whereas, A new three year agreement between the Governing Board and the DILC has been negotiated and now requires approval at the Conference; therefore, be it
Resolved, That Leonard Leibowitz, a/k/a DILC, be retained for a term of three (3) years upon the following financial terms:
| 2006–07 | — | $3750 per month ($45,000 annually) |
| 2007–08 | — | $4000 per month ($48,000 annually) |
| 2008–09 | — | $4166.66 per month ($50,000 annually) |
In all cases, reasonable expenses shall be reimbursed in accordance with governing board policies.
Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board, as amended
Resolution #4—Amendment of AFM Bylaw Regarding OSP
Whereas, It is AFM policy to provide the best possible representational services to its members; and
Whereas, One of the programs used to implement that policy for symphonic members is the Orchestra Service Program (OSP); and
Whereas, The current Orchestra Service Program by-law provides only one method of insuring that Symphonic members receive the best possible representational services; and
Whereas, It would be beneficial to members, locals and the AFM that there be other suitable programs; and
Whereas, A pilot program in St. Louis has proven useful in providing such representational services; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the 2006 ICSOM Conference recommends Article 5, Section 38(b) of the by-laws of the American Federation of Musicians be amended as follows:
ARTICLE 5, SECTION 38(b)
In the event that a Local does not or cannot provide the services set forth above in a satisfactory manner, or upon the request of the Local or the members of an orchestra for reasonable cause, the International President (after consultation with the Local and the members involved) shall have the authority to take any of the following actions:
- Appoint a representative who shall work to resolve any issues that may exist between the Local and the Orchestra members; such representative shall act at the direction of the President, who shall consult with the International Executive Board (IEB) and the appropriate Player Conference on these matters;
- Implement Article 5, Section 30, of the American Federation of Musicians by-laws;
SECTION 30. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Bylaws and upon good cause shown, the IEB shall have the authority to assign collective bargaining rights from one Local to another. Such assignment shall be done in accordance with applicable labor law and with a procedure established by the IEB. Such procedure shall include:
- Consultation with the current signatory Local;
- Approval of the Local to which the collective bargaining responsibilities are being assigned;
- Approval of the affected bargaining unit by secret ballot majority vote;
- Agreement of the signatory employer if required by law or contract.
- Place the orchestra in an Orchestra Service Program (OSP) established and maintained under IEB supervision. The OSP shall provide those services and such other assistance as the IEB may deem necessary in the situation at a cost to the Local of 2% of the scale wages received by the orchestra members under the CBA. If the Local Work Dues payable by the members of an orchestra placed in OSP are less than 2%, the Local Work Dues rate payable by the members working under that orchestra’s CBA shall be automatically increased to 2%.
Submitted by Bradford D. Buckley (St. Louis) and the Governing Board
Resolution #5—Atlanta Ballet Orchestra
Whereas, The members of the orchestra of the Atlanta Ballet are once again facing the elimination of their jobs; and
Whereas, Once again they need and deserve the support of their colleagues in ICSOM and the AFM; and
Whereas, The elimination of a live orchestra for ballet represents a diminishment of the quality of the dance experience; and
Whereas, The Governing Board and delegates to the ICSOM Conference wish to do everything in their power to support their struggle to maintain their jobs, as well as maintaining the artistic standards of the Atlanta Ballet; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference hereby express their full support and empathy for the members of the Atlanta Ballet orchestra, and urge the leadership of the AF of M to once again act as strongly as possible to prevent the lowering of the artistic quality of a nationally-recognized ballet company, and to save the jobs of one of the great ballet orchestras in the nation.
Submitted by the Governing Board and adopted by unanimous consent
Resolution #6—Regarding Contractors on Union Boards
Whereas, It is a long-standing ICSOM policy that the AFM bylaws should prohibit union officers from serving as contractors or in any other supervisory capacity over other AFM members; and
Whereas, ICSOM submitted a resolution on the subject to the AFM 2005 Convention, which received a negative recommendation from the Law Committee on grossly inadequate grounds and without any effort to work with the proponents to resolve the legal issues given by the Law Committee for their negative recommendation; therefore be it
Resolved, That the ICSOM Governing Board be directed to re-submit the resolution to the 2007 AFM Convention; and, be it further
Resolved, That the ICSOM Governing Board actively seek the support of AFM Locals and the other Player Conferences for such legislation.
Whereas, There are many Locals in which the Officers also work as Contractors, Personnel Managers, or Booking Agents, creating a clear, inherent conflict of interest that has a chilling effect on a member’s ability to receive fair and impartial representation; therefore, be it
Resolved, That Article 5, Section 7(d) of the Bylaws be amended, as follows:
No Local Officer shall (1) serve in the position of a Personnel Manager or a Contractor for an employer of musicians in the Local’s jurisdiction[. Beginning with a Local’s next election on or after August 1, 2001, no Local Officer, except in Canada, shall serve in the position of a contractor of musicians in the musical theater field.]; (2) work in any position where s/he receives any remuneration from contracting or booking musical units (other than a regularly organized one of which s/he is a leader or member) in the Local’s jurisdiction, except in his/her capacity as a Local officer administering an employment referral or booking program on behalf of the Local.
Submitted by Robert Levine (Milwaukee)
Resolution #7—Orquesta Filarmónica in Santiago, Chile
Whereas, The administration of the Teatro Municipal in Santiago, Chile has suspended the entire 2006 season in an effort to break the collective agreements with the Orquesta Filarmónica, professional choir, and maintenance departments; and
Whereas, The administration of the Teatro Municipal has fired 44 workers working under collective agreements, thereby crippling the orchestra, choir and maintenance staff; and
Whereas, The administration of the Teatro Municipal has engaged in blatant age discrimination, as demonstrated by the fact that all the terminated members of the orchestra were over the age of 50; and
Whereas, Maximiano Valdes, the internationally renowned Chilean conductor, has resigned as music director on the grounds that he cannot do his job with so few musicians; and
Whereas, The administration of the Teatro Municipal has imported orchestras from England and Poland to replace the musicians of the Orquesta Filarmónica; and
Whereas, The Teatro Municpal de Chile has taken action against the Orquesta Filarmónica, as well as many other non-orchestra member-employees; and
Whereas, These actions have resulted in the loss of work for these employees, as well as the loss of their ability to join and form unions, and to bargain collectively for the terms and conditions of their employees; and
Whereas, The rights of workers of all kinds to join together and act in concert for their mutual aid and protection should be considered inalienable; and
Whereas, The administration of the Teatro Municipal has engaged in a concerted campaign in the press to defame and denigrate its own musicians and employees; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference express their support for their colleagues in the Orquesta Filarmónica, and the members of the chorus and the maintenance staff; and, be it further
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference urge President Michelle Bachelet to intervene to preserve the artistic and organizational integrity of the Orquesta Filarmónica; and, be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference deplore these actions of the Teatro Municipal as a blatant attempt to destroy the rights of the musicians of the Orquesta Filarmónica and their colleagues.
Submitted by Robert Levine (Milwaukee), as amended
Resolution #8—Virtual Orchestra Machine
Whereas, The virtual orchestra machine represents a very real threat to live music; and
Whereas, Local 802, under the leadership of President David Lennon, has fought against the use of this machine for the past two (2) years; and
Whereas, As a result of this campaign, there are now virtual orchestra machine bans in cities across the nation, as well as legal rulings upholding the legality of these bans; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the ICSOM Governing Board and the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference express their admiration and gratitude to Local 802 and David Lennon for their ongoing and courageous campaign to ban or at least restrict, to the greatest extent possible, the use and/or the proliferation of the virtual orchestra machine in any form or incarnation, and for their devotion to the cause of live music.
Submitted by the Governing Board and adopted by unanimous consent
Resolution #9—Jan Gippo
Whereas, Jan Gippo has served his orchestra, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, in a number of capacities, including Chair of the Musician’s Council, member and Chair of the Negotiating Committee and ICSOM delegate; and
Whereas, In 2002 he was elected Chairman of ICSOM; and
Whereas, His election to the chairmanship of ICSOM came at a crucial and difficult moment in the history of the organization; and
Whereas, During his stewardship, Jan worked with a restructured Governing Board, initiated personal visits to many constituent orchestras, represented ICSOM with distinction at numerous conferences and seminars including the annual ASOL Conference, and initiated Delegate–L as an innovative method of private communication among ICSOM delegates; and
Whereas, By these and other activities he has advanced the causes of ICSOM, and those of the entire symphonic workplace; and
Whereas, He has chosen to step down as chair of ICSOM in order to devote most of his time to his new wife and family, as well as internal matters of his orchestra; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians Conference express their respect, admiration and gratitude to Jan Gippo for his remarkable body of work on behalf of the members of his own orchestra as well as the members of all ICSOM, ROPA and OCSM Orchestras in North America; and be it further
Resolved, That Jan Gippo be granted the title of Chair Emeritus as a gesture of respect and admiration; and be it further
Resolved, That this Resolution be framed and presented to Jan Gippo as a memento of the fondness and respect in which he is, and shall always be held.
Submitted by the Governing Board and adopted by unanimous consent
Resolution #10—Michael Moore
Whereas, Michael Moore has served as the ICSOM delegate from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra for a quarter of a century without a break in service; and
Whereas, This distinguished service also included 12 years of service as Member at Large and since 2002 service in the incredibly difficult and virtually thankless office of “IHAT” (ICSOM Hard-Ass Treasurer); and
Whereas, His contributions to ICSOM, the AFM, his local union, and especially to his colleagues in the ASO as well as those of virtually every other musician in the nation have been immeasurable; and
Whereas, He is eminently deserving of the accolades and gratitude of all of us; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference hereby congratulate Michael Moore for his many contributions over these past twenty-five years, and express their appreciation for service well-done, and their wishes for as many more years as he is willing to continue to devote to the improvement of the quality of life of symphony, opera and ballet musicians everywhere.
Submitted by the Governing Board and adopted by unanimous consent
Resolution #11—David Angus
Whereas, for the past thirty years the AFM, and most of all, the members of all symphony, opera and ballet orchestras throughout the United States and Canada have been quietly, but admirably and effectively served by David Angus; and
Whereas, This service has included representing his own orchestra as ICSOM delegate for 25 of those years, as well as Chair of his Orchestra Committee, President of his Local Union, Trustee of the AFM Strike Fund, Chair of the ICSOM Nominating Committee, Regional Vice-Chair of the Eastern Orchestras of ICSOM, and most notably, the President of ICSOM; and
Whereas, His name must be added to the list of ICSOM luminaries who, over the years, have given so much of themselves to the betterment of the working lives of symphonic musicians, and to musicians everywhere; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference hereby express their respect, gratitude, admiration and genuine fondness of David Angus, and that they will continue to hold him in that same high regard and esteem in which he is held by all who have had the pleasure of working with him in any of his many roles.
Submitted by the Governing Board and adopted by unanimous consent
Resolution #12—Nancy Stutsman
Whereas, Nancy Stutsman has served the Kennedy Center Orchestra and ICSOM as a delegate for many years; and
Whereas, She has also served on the ICSOM Governing Board as a valued member during the 2005-06 season; and
Whereas, For personal reasons, her tenure on the Governing Board has been all too short; and
Whereas, She is deserving of high praise and gratitude for these years of service to her Colleagues; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Governing Board and the delegates to the 2006 ICSOM Conference hereby express their thanks and good wishes to Nancy (“Queen”) Stutsman for her service to ICSOM and the orchestra field at large, as well as their regrets that she will no longer serve as a member at large of this Governing Board.
