Justice for Jazz Artists! Rally and March, Greenwich Village, fall 2009. Photo: Enid Farber.
Justice for Jazz Artists! and Local 802 will begin leafleting the Blue Note tonight in an effort to get the club’s attention, and to alert musicians and fans alike to the campaigns’ goals–and to the fact that the Blue Note has not returned our calls.
The demands of the campaign are simple enough:
* fair minimum scale wages
* a decent pension
* protection from the recording or reuse of the music
* a means for addressing grievances in the workplace
According to Local 802′s Recording Vice President, John O’Connor, “We have been cautioned by some that an aggressive leverage campaign against the clubs is not a good idea. But if we don’t apply pressure, how will this goal–which the union has had for years–ever be achieved? We would be more than happy to solve this with the cooperation of the clubs. But it’s up to them.”
We have, with the full co-operation of a select group of prominent jazz artists, as well as burgeoning support from a much larger group of side musicians who perform regularly in the clubs, been highly successful in moving the J4JA! campaign forward, and have even had talks with one major NYC club.
J4JA! and Local 802 will have a presence in front of the Blue Note for the next several weeks.
For more info email [email hidden; JavaScript is required]–and check this site for updates.
