Archive for the ‘Announcements’ Category

Actors Equity Association Endorses Justice for Jazz Artists!

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

The National Council of the Actors Equity Association, chaired by Executive Director John Connelly, declared their full and unambiguous support for Local 802’s Justice for Jazz Artists! campaign on Tuesday, October 21, 2009. The resolution to endorse was supported by a unanimous vote. Council members from Chicago and Los Angeles weighed in with their “yea” votes via conference call.

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Press Release on Tuesday’s J4JA! Rally

Friday, September 25th, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 24, 2009
CONTACT: PAUL MOLLOY
[w] 212.245.4802, ext. 176
[c] 631.965.3324
Local 802 AFM and the Jazz Community Kick Off the Justice for Jazz Artists! Campaign at Judson Memorial Church
On Tuesday, September 29, 2009, The Associated Musicians of Greater New York, Local 802 AFM and members of the New York City Jazz community will launch “Justice for Jazz Artists!”, a campaign addressing the plight of New York City’s Jazz musicians, who receive no benefits from the clubs they perform in. A rally and press conference kicks off the event at Judson Memorial Church, 55 Washington Square South (West 4th Street) at 2:00 pm.
The world’s greatest jazz musicians live and work in New York City. However, many are forced to retire with no income to fall back on in their later years. Some are forced to go on public assistance. The mission of “Justice for Jazz Artists!” is to persuade New York City’s Jazz club owners to provide pension benefits to Jazz musicians who perform in their venues.
Since 2006, the Justice for Jazz Artists! campaign has attempted repeatedly to engage New York City’s Jazz clubs in constructive dialogue to secure retirement benefits for the Jazz musicians they employ. Some have agreed to meet with Local 802. Most however, have been unresponsive.
In 2007, Local 802 in partnership with some club owners, successfully lobbied the State Legislature to forgive the sales tax on tickets for Jazz club. That was done in order to allow the sums formerly collected as admission sales tax to go toward Jazz musicians’ benefits especially for retirement, at no cost to the clubs. However, since the law’s passage, no club has volunteered to make any pension fund contributions.
“I don’t think to be a Jazz musician you should have to swear an oath of poverty”, says Sean Lyons, tenor saxophonist and Jazz recording artist. John Cusick, President of Metropolitan Washington DC Federation of Musicians, Local 161-710, says “Club owners need to act responsibly and realize that paying pension on musicians is not only the right thing to do, but helps perpetuate the art form which keeps them in business. I urge New York club owners to do the right thing and take pride in raising the bar for the treatment of Jazz musicians everywhere.”
After the rally, there will be a march to the clubs to deliver a petition bearing signatures of nearly 2000 professional musicians, urging the clubs to use the forgiven tax dollars for its original intent: to provide pension benefits to their Jazz musicians.
Justice for Jazz Artists! enjoys the support of the New York City Central Labor Council, New School Jazz Department Faculty Committee, Jazz Foundation of America, former Mayor David Dinkins and over twenty  elected officials, including William C. Thompson, David Yassky and Speaker Christine Quinn.
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Benny Powell, Jimmy Owens, Sean Lyons
Our press release for Tuesday’s J4JA! Rally and March to the Clubs (9/29, 2pm) is below the fold… and here’s a printable copy.

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Jazz Session Interview

Thursday, September 24th, 2009

Check out Jason Crane’s Jazz Session podcast with Local 802 Jazz/J4JA! rep Todd Weeks. In this interview, Todd lays out the history of the J4JA! campaign and talks about the importance of pensions and other benefits for the musicians — young and old — who play jazz.

The play button is at the bottom of the page. Thank you Jazz Session!

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Sept. 29 J4JA! Rally in NYC

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

It’s time to take action — and we need your support. We’re holding a rally on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2pm, at Judson Memorial Church at 55 Washington Square South (West 4th Street) in Manhattan.

We need you to be there.

Since 2006, the Justice for Jazz Artists! campaign has repeatedly tried to engage NYC jazz clubs in constructive dialog to secure retirement benefits for working jazz musicians, to no avail.

We successfully lobbied for a tax break that would go to jazz musicians’ retirement payments, at no cost the clubs; and yet none almost none of the top NYC jazz clubs will even discuss the issue with us — these clubs include the Village Vanguard, the Jazz Standard, the Iridium, Birdland, the Blue Note, Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, and (le) Poisson Rouge.

We’re holding this rally to put public pressure on the clubs, so that they do the right thing. After the rally, we will march to the clubs and deliver our petition with 1500 2000+ signatures of professional musicians, demanding that the clubs direct the forgiven tax dollars to musicians’ pension payments — a tax break that we lobbied for, and that the clubs are now enjoying.

J4JA! Rally and March on the Clubs
Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2pm
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square South (West 4th Street)
Greenwich Village, New York City

Musicians: Bring your instruments for our march to the clubs!

Email us at [email hidden; JavaScript is required] or call (212) 245-4802 X 185 for more information. Here’s our Facebook event.

Posted in Announcements | 3 Comments »

Endorsers

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Check out our new endorsers page! The list is necessarily incomplete, but we’ll be updating as we add more supporters.  Check out our many political, education, religious endorsers, as well as writers and of course jazz musicians.

Posted in Announcements, Endorsements | 1 Comment »

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