This thread starts a discussion about ROPA.

I have put the various email contents in messages just for reference.

-Michael

Email from Carol Yale

Dear Orchestra Members,

The Allentown Symphony has been bumped up to full member status in the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA). Our delegates will now be allowed to vote and run for offices among other things. Additional information about ROPA can be found at www.ropaweb.org. Because of this change, the individual ROPA/Orchestra Committee dues have been increased to $15.00 as previously noted in the new contract. You may choose to have this annual $15 dues deducted from your first pay check of this season, in this case the March or April concert, or you may pay by cash or check made payable to the Allentown Symphony Players’ Association. Using this new deduction option will greatly ease the collection of dues. Orchestra committee members will distribute and collect the dues authorization forms on Thursday. Dues will be collected from all tenure and tenure track players.



Thank You for your cooperation,

Carol Yale

ASO ROPA delegate

Email from Jane King

Dear Carol,

Doesn't a ROPA season correspond to an Orchestra Subscription Season,
which runs September through May? Surely we are not paying higher dues
retroactively to last September since we have just been informed of the
change and clearly had no vote in ROPA this past year.

I would like to see the Allentown Symphony Musicians have the
opportunity to vote on whether to remain a member of ROPA in light of
the 300% increase in dues which will annihilate the entire meager raise
the musicians received this year. In fact, most of us are playing for
less this year already because of the new $52 Allentown City EMS Tax.

Before we are asked to vote on ROPA, would you make your case for ROPA?
What assistance does ROPA offer that we can not get from the AF of M
where we all pay dues already?

Jane

Carol Yale responds


Hi Jane,
Our orchestra dues for ROPA are technically due each year on December
31st. Because we were planning to include the option for dues check off in
the contract, we delayed paying the dues. Last fall I sent out an e-mail
stating that our dues would increase because our orchestra's annual budget
had increased since the time we originally joined ROPA. I also stated that
we would collect the dues once our contract was settled. In the contract
summary sheet that accompanied the contract mailing, it stated that the dues
for this year would be $15. (Participating in the dues check off option is
voluntary, but paying the dues is not.) No one responded to that item at
the meeting or via e-mail. The orchestra committee set the dues at $15 to
cover the increased cost.
The AFM serves a large number of musicians of which orchestral musicians
are a minority. In the past the needs of the symphonic musicians were not
met. The player conferences were created to fulfill the need for a stronger
voice in the AFM. The larger full time orchestras have ICSOM and the
regional orchestras have ROPA. These organizations pushed to have the
Symphonic Services division of AFM created.
Member orchestras of ROPA receive the annual WAGE CHART which contains
data (budget, wage, working conditions, etc.) that is extremely useful in
negotiating. It was used to negotiate the current contract. ROPA
orchestras receive access to "The Leading Tone" newsletter, now online,
which keeps member informed about what is happening with other regional
orchestras. We have access to a database containing evaluations of music
directors and executive directors that can be used when an orchestra is
involved with a search. For full members of ROPA, there is the AFM Regional
Orchestra Emergency Relief Fund. ROPA executive board members call the
orchestra's delegate throughout the year to ask if we need assistance with
grievances or other issues. ROPA retains its own legal counsel. ROPA has a
voice in national electronic media decisions that cover recording,
television, and digital media. The ROPA legal counsel was instrumental in
creating the laws that currently govern digital downloads.
Recently, the Pittsburgh Ballet and the Atlanta Ballet were on strike.
Members of the ROPA executive board attended the strike demonstrations along
with other ROPA members. ROPA orchestra members were also asked to write
letters on behalf of these orchestras. At the ROPA conferences, the
delegate can attend workshops on negotiating, arbitration, and media
relations among others. The delegates can find out what kinds of problems
other orchestras have and how they resolve them. Unfortunately, they also
find out what kind of tricks some managements play to the disservice of
musicians.
The orchestra managements band together in a group called the American
Symphony Orchestra League(ASOL.) The regional orchestras have pooled their
knowledge and resources in a group called ROPA.
The best way to find the value in ROPA, would be to become the ROPA
delegate. Election nominations will be held tonight.

Carol Yale

Jane King Replies

Hi Carol,

* The ROPA dues do not depend on the CBA.

* Article 3 of the CBA says nothing about the amount of ROPA dues or
that the musicians must belong to ROPA. It simply states that the
Allentown Symphony Association agrees to undertake the task of
collecting dues IF THE MUSICIAN VOLUNTARILY AGREES to the
deduction. (The fact that Jan Galassi makes comments about the
contract or ROPA to accompany the contract has no legal basis.)
*

* In January 2003, when Jan Galassi offered a new version of the
Allentown Symphony Players' Association Bylaws to the musicians
for a vote, the Bylaws mentionned ROPA for the first time.
Article #3.2 of the *Bylaws* states: "The dues for the Player's
Association shall be $5.00 per contract year (defined as September
1 through the following August 31). At that meeting 4 years ago,
I stood up and asked two questions. The first was "How does
$5.00/person cover ROPA dues of $760 per year?. The second was
"Suppose a musician does not wish to join ROPA. Is it mandatory
to belong if you are in the Allentown Symphony?" Jan responded
that the ROPA dues would only be $180, or a couple of dollars per
person, since the ASO would be an Associate Member of ROPA. She
also said that it was not mandatory for a musician to pay the
dues. However, if one chose not to pay the couple of dollars, it
would just mean that others in the orchestra would have to pay more.
*

* I intend to DECLINE permission for the Allentown Symphony
Association to deduct money for ROPA from my check.
*

* I WILL PAY ONLY THE $5 AS STIPULATED IN THE PLAYERS' ASSOC. BYLAWS.
*

* I believe the tenured and tenure track musicians should vote on
whether they wish to become full members of ROPA or whether they
wish to resign from ROPA now .
*

* I also believe that the Bylaws must be amended if you wish to
collect more that $5. You must offer the amendment and it must be
approved by 2/3 majority to collect $15.
*

* I do not have a copy of the email you sent last fall about ROPA
dues. Please resend it or provide me with a copy.
*

* Not all regional orchestras belong to ROPA. For example, I do not
believe that the Reading Symphony is a ROPA member.
*

* Jane.

Connie Trach replies,



Dear ASO musicians,

Thank you Carol, for you eloquent description of the function of the Regional Orchestra Players' Association.

I have attended four ROPA conferences, beginning in August 1999 as the LVCO delegate. I attended the 2006 Conference in Charleston, WV as the Alternate Delegate from ASO. Among the experiences that I have had during my 30+-year career as a professional musician, those Conferences stand out as most enlightening and enriching. As Jane points out, our union membership dues "pay" for certain services from both Local 45 and the Federation in NYC. However, the player conferences are "branches" of the Federation which grew out of the specific needs of various types of musicians (i.e. regional orchestra musicians [like us], major orchestra musicians [our friends in Philadelphia, NY, etc], recording musicians, theater musicians) and efforts to address those specific needs. You are well aware that we do not share the same exact concerns and difficulties with our colleagues in the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York Phil. ROPA is an excellent network of information, resources and assistance. As Carol pointed out, ROPA maintains Conductor and Executive Director evaluation banks. This information is available to member orchestras who are engaged in conductor and/or executive director searches (if you have questions concerning the value of this information, ask Jan to tell about an experience she had several years back). This information in not readily available through the local or the federation. Remember, when orchestras such as ours launch a conductor search, we are likely to attract hundreds (yes, hundreds!) of candidates. While a good many of the candidates are the brightest and best in many circles, many of them are virtually unknown to us. The conductor evaluation bank can be an invaluable tool in the long process of selecting a new music director.

ROPA conducts a day-long negotiating workshop for orchestras preparing to enter into contract negotiations. These workshops are conducted by AFM negotiators who collectively have many, many years of negotiating experience with orchestras large, small and in between. This kind of experience probably just does not exist in most locals. We are extremely fortunate to have outstanding negotiators working for the AFM. Through our membership in ROPA, our delegates have the opportunity to meet and work closely with them. They also develop working relationships which allows them to continue to work with these people long after the workshop is over.

As with most "professional organizations" (think doctors, for example: Fellow of the American College of [fill in the blank]), ROPA is about networking and support. There are delegates and ROPA board members at the ready 24/7 (thanks to e-mail!) to answer questions about and provide insights into our difficulties and concerns Just as in the medical profession, MD does not cover all bases (think, for example, OB-GYN vs Neurologist vs Psychiatrist), "musician" does not cover "orchestral musician" to "casual club date musician".

Solidarity and support are the centerpiece of the union movement. We are in this together. Though there are musicians in the ASO (and other ROPA orchestras as well) who do not earn their livings as professional musicians, there are many among us who do. While not every issue that we address affects every member, collectively we benefit from the contract and all that goes into it. Check the archives on the ROPA website (www.ropaweb.org) for articles about Atlanta and Pittsburgh Ballet orchestras. If you cannot find anything there, ask Carol or I about it. In her e-mail, Carol mentioned the AFM Regional Orchestra Emergency Relief Fund. I believe that this fund provided some much-needed assistance to our colleagues whose working lives were suspended by Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. This is solidarity.

One more thought - at my first ROPA conference in 1999, I noticed an older gentleman. His name was Frank Amos. He sat at the front of the room for all the talks and asked many insightful questions. Through his questions and comments, I learned that he was not delegate from an orchestra - indeed, he was not an orchestral musician at all. He played in a band and was a local president from the west coast. As I chatted with him over breakfast one morning, I ask him why he came to ROPA conferences. He immediately answered that he learned so much about the orchestral world at these conferences that he thought that it helped him to be a better local officer and in turn he could better serve all members of his local.

Those of us who have been involved with ROPA would be happy to share more about our experiences. My notebook from the 2006 conference is available for you perusal. I would be happy to discuss any of the materials or notes with you. Please contact me if you are interested.

Sincerely,

Connie Trach, 2006 Alternate ROPA Delegate, Allentown Symphony Orchestra

Jan Galassi replies,

Dear ASO Musicians,



I apologize for this belated response to the ROPA issue. I have not been receiving the emails sent to orchestra members, probably because my email address on the ASO list is wrong (although I have received some general emails in the past, but that is a discussion for another day).



I understand that continued membership in the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association is in question. The matter of increased dues is out of our hands, since any orchestra with a budget of $800,000 or more is required to join or maintain membership at the Full Member level. The Orchestra Committee double checked with Executive Director, Steve Wogaman, and learned that the ASO budget is hovering at about a million dollars. Therefore, the level of membership is not something we can effectively debate.



The two questions left for musicians to ponder, then, are 1.,Whether or not continued membership in ROPA is valuable to ASO musicians and 2., Whether or not musicians are willing to pay another $10.00 a year to belong to it.



I attended my first ROPA conference in Richmond, VA in 1995. Although my symphony was not yet a member of ROPA, Local 269 (Harrisburg, PA) was gracious enough to agree to pay for my hotel and meals, if I paid for my own travel expenses, which I was happy to do. I was curious about this conference of regional symphony orchestras, and attended that event to learn whether or not it would be of value to my colleagues in the Harrisburg Symphony.



I was immediately both inspired and impressed by the contents of the four and one half day conference. Subject matter, discussions and guest speakers were all centered on matters of mutual concern for any musician playing in a regional orchestra, just like the Harrisburg Symphony and the Allentown Symphony. I have attended every ROPA conference held since then, and my interest and belief in the organization has never waned.



For delegates from orchestras that would be entering in negotiations the following year, there was a special workshop conducted by SSD staff which was invaluable. Typical language provisions, why they are negotiated and labor laws relevant to each issue were presented by experienced AFM negotiators and assisted by other staff. Carol Yale has also attended that workshop the year prior to ASO entering negotiations. Perhaps she can elaborate on the value of that single workshop. There have also been fascinating presentations on different bargaining styles.



Other subject matter from the 2006 conference is listed below:



Negotiating/Orchestra Committee Responsibilities

The New Live Symphonic Media Agreement (making it possible to record live performances for other than archival purposes)

Building Relationships Among Community Groups

David Bonner, former minority whip for the US Congress House of Representatives, on recent labor board decisions that affect the workplaces of all working people, including regional symphony musicians

Accounting Statistics and Management Systems: keeping track of Management budget information

Building Relationships with Orchestra Board Members



In between these presentations are breakout groups who gather in smaller numbers, and discuss matters that all attendees have in common, both in terms of concerns they need help with, and suggestions as to what has worked among orchestras in the discussion group. These sessions alone are worth their weight in gold, because it improves the ability of regional symphony musicians to network, share information and resources. Perhaps one of the most valuable services performed by ROPA is the conductor bank and the executive director bank. This affords musicians avenues into hiring for these positions that are often not available to board members on their own.



Building this kind of network and generating support among people of similar interests is not new or bizarre. In my “other life” as a performer and teacher, I belonged to the Suzuki Association of the Americas and the American String Teachers’ Association, probably for the same reasons that I have always enjoyed a relationship for ROPA: to learn new things, both from experts and from colleagues whose valuable experiences can help me do what I do better.



The most important role of such an organization, in my view, is to expand the horizons and collective vision of regional musicians, like members of the ASO, to reach out and make important connections beyond the walls of Symphony Hall. I like to think that we are part of a larger symphonic world, and that they can learn from us and we can learn from them. Together, perhaps we can link arms and work toward the collective welfare of other regional musicians, just like us. Perhaps there are those among us who play with the ASO for enjoyment, and do not view themselves as career musicians. But even if that is so, I hope that we will think about those among our colleagues who do play for a living and for whom the benefits of such an association are even more profound.



I know that I am not the only musicians in the ASO who sees the value of looking beyond our orchestra to our place among regional orchestras, and the importance of our staying in that loop. I truly hope that I am not in the minority. The musicians of the ASO voted once to join ROPA and send an elected delegate to conferences because they too, presumably, saw the value of such an association with regional symphonic colleagues across the country. The question is now whether we will agree to sustain our membership at the higher level. I sincerely hope that we will, as a group, see beyond a ten dollar increase to the value of such an association. I strongly urge the ASO musicians to continue our membership in this organization.



For more information, the ROPA website has some references to the services they provide. If that is not enough, I urge anyone who is in doubt to run for ROPA delegate, and experience first hand the value of attending a ROPA conference himself or herself.



Jan Galassi – Co-Chair, ASO Players’ Committee

Former ROPA Delegate

Former ROPA Executive Board Member

Steve Wogoman replies,

Two years ago I heard the president of ROPA speak at the national ASOL conference in Washington, and I was so impressed at how effective she was in painting a clear picture, for a room full of orchestra managers, of what life is like for a professional per-service musician.



I know of no other national organization that is advocating for the needs of full-time classical musicians who make their living doing part-time work for multiple organizations, even though that is the reality for the vast majority of gifted classical musicians in America, including the members of the Allentown Symphony.



Warm regards,



Steve

Jane King replies,

Dear Jan,

Your comments are very good. I maintain, and I repeat, that you cannot
change the amount of dues assessed each musician without amending the
Bylaws, which requires a 2/3 majority vote. You say we voted for ROPA
once. We did not. We voted to accept the Players' Association Bylaws as
a package. We must follow the Bylaws or amend them.

Sincerely,
Jane

Michael Toth replies,

There are some opinions that ROPA is a good thing. It may be for some but I so far have not heard of any way it could help without becoming a delegate. What does this do for the rest of us?

I'm not convinced it's worth my money yet.

-Michael