Proposed bylaw change: see after Robin’s message.
Officers
President: Francine Schutzman
Vice President: Gary Morton
Secretary-Treasurer: Robin Moir
Executive Board
Lance Elbeck
Mike Mullin
David Renaud
Sean Rice
Delegates to AFM Convention
Francine Schutzman
Robin Moir
President Emeritus
Glenn Robb
Office Staff
Administrative Officers:
Dan Blackwell
Braiden Turner
Office Assistant: Marlene Morton
MPTF Coordinator: Glenn Robb
Website: Dave Poulin
DISCLAIMER
Your officers and editorial staff conscientiously screen all advertising submitted to the eNewsHarp. However, we cannot assume responsibility for product quality or advertising content, nor can your officers be held accountable for misrepresentations between side persons and leader/contractors.
Local 180 publishes the eNewsHarp on-line four times a year. In an election year, we also publish an election issue for members.
President’s Message
Francine Schutzman
Zooming Right Along
One interesting byproduct of this pandemic is that some groups are taking advantage of the ease of Zoom to meet more often than they would have done in person. For the officers of CFM Locals, this has meant that, instead of seeing each other once a year at the meeting of the Canadian Conference, we have had Zoom meetings twice a month since the beginning of June. These have been set up by the AFM’s International Representative for Canada, Allistair Elliott. The Canadian Conference itself, which was to have taken place in Montreal at the end of June, will now be done via Zoom over three days in mid-September.
The bi-monthly officers’ meetings have had a wide range of topics, from a cross-country checkup of how Locals and various provinces have been dealing with the pandemic, to a discussion of live streaming vs recorded streaming, to an update on P2 visas.
We heard a presentation by Dan Beck of the Music Performance Trust Fund in which he told us of a scholarship essay contest for children of AFM families as well as a new plan for the MPTF to sponsor live-streamed concerts that are subject to the usual rules, including free admission. MPTF gigs are somewhat complicated by the fact that the Fund, which is subject to US law, can no longer send a cheque to Locals to distribute payment to musicians but must pay a third-party engager. Some Canadian Locals find the process too onerous to contemplate using, but our office has managed to deal with it. We are exploring the possibility of forming a separate corporation to act as engager for such gigs and possibly others (non-MPTF) that have not been performed under union contract in the past.
Allistair is looking to all of us for ideas on how to return safely to performing in person. It’s not just up to us to determine what our guidelines should be; we need the various venues to reopen. Some officers mentioned the possibility of performing in churches, since many of them already have protocols in place for safe gatherings. Concert halls will be more complicated.
I admit that I was not looking forward to the officers’ meeting on August 12th, since I thought that it was going to be about copyright, an issue that I have never dealt with personally and about which I know next to nothing. I was wrong: we had a presentation from Lisa Freeman, the Executive Director of the Canadian Private Copying Collective, or CPCC. What she was talking about was the transfer of one’s own library to a listening device such as a smartphone. Canada has not kept pace with other countries on this issue. Generally, a small surcharge is added to the price of any listening device to collect royalties that are then distributed to the people who actually made the music. In Canada, royalties are collected only on recordable CD’s, which most of us would consider out of date. The CPCC wants to propose levies on cellphones and tablets but have been refused so far by government. They have not yet tried to include USB sticks and portable hard drives. This all adds up to a problem for Parliament to solve.
Lisa told us that in Europe there is an average of $3 added to the sales of phones and tablets for audio copying only. If clarity and fairness can be brought to the copyright act, that will mean money going directly to our members. A review of the copyright act was begun at the end of 2017. Until that is finished, the CPCC wants an interim amount of $40 million per year from the government to be put towards the proper payment of royalties. However, they are not pursuing this during the pandemic. Nevertheless, a legislative solution appears closer than it was.
So how can you help the CPCC, and therefore yourselves? For starters, you can support their social media accounts. Please visit their website (www.cpcc.ca) to find an informative brochure and supporter toolkit. Those are available only in English at the time of this writing, but a French version is coming. Thank you for your help.
Francine
Rapport de la président
Vivre les visioconférences Zoom
L’utilisation accrue des réunions Zoom, l’un des sous-produits intéressants de la présente pandémie, donne lieu à des rencontres plus fréquentes qu’elles ne l’auraient été en personne. Dans le cas des représentants des sections locales de la FCM, depuis le début de juin, au lieu de se réunir une fois par année à la Conférence canadienne, nous tenons des réunions Zoom bimensuelles. Allistair Elliott, représentant international de l’AFM pour le Canada, a mis sur pied ces réunions. De plus, la Conférence canadienne, prévue à Montréal à la fin de juin, aura maintenant lieu à la mi-septembre et se déroulera sur trois jours en mode Zoom.
Les réunions bimensuelles des représentants ont porté sur une panoplie de sujets, allant d’un bilan pancanadien sur les réactions des sections locales et des diverses provinces en réponse à la pandémie, aux échanges sur les diffusions en direct par opposition aux enregistrements et aux mises à jour sur les visas P2.
Nous avons assisté à une présentation de Dan Beck, du Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF), dans laquelle il nous a parlé d’un concours de dissertation à l’intention des enfants des familles de l’AFM en vue d’obtenir une bourse d’étude, et du nouveau plan du MPTF visant à parrainer des concerts diffusés en direct, lesquels sont assujettis aux règles habituelles, y compris l’entrée libre. Les prestations du MPTF sont relativement complexes du fait que le Fonds, lequel est assujetti à la loi américaine, ne peut plus envoyer un chèque aux sections locales pour rémunérer les musiciens, mais doit plutôt payer un employeur de tierce partie. Certaines sections locales canadiennes jugent le processus trop onéreux pour songer à l’utiliser, mais notre bureau a réussi à le gérer. Nous réfléchissons à la possibilité de former une société distincte, laquelle agira à titre d’employeur pour ce genre de représentation et possiblement d’autres (non du MPTF) n’ayant pas été exécutées en vertu du contrat d’un syndicat par le passé.
Allistair attend des idées de nous tous sur la façon d’offrir à nouveau, et sans danger, des prestations en personne. Ce n’est cependant pas seulement à nous de déterminer les lignes directrices à suivre; les diverses salles doivent aussi être déconfinées. Certains représentants ont souligné la possibilité de s’exécuter dans des églises, puisque plusieurs de ces dernières ont en place des protocoles relatifs aux rassemblements sécuritaires. Les salles de concerts seront plus complexes.
J’avoue ne pas avoir anticipé la réunion des représentants le 12 août dernier puisque je croyais que l’accent serait sur les droits d’auteur, un enjeu que je n’ai jamais affronté personnellement et qui m’est plutôt inconnu. J’étais dans l’erreur : nous avons assisté à une présentation de Lisa Freeman, la directrice générale de la Société canadienne de la perception de la copie privée, ou SCPCP. Son discours portait sur le transfert de sa propre bibliothèque à un appareil d’écoute tel qu’un téléphone intelligent. Le Canada n’a pas progressé au même rythme que d’autres pays dans ce domaine. En règle générale, un minime supplément est ajouté au prix de tout appareil d’écoute afin de recueillir les redevances qui sont ensuite distribuées aux personnes ayant réellement participé au morceau de musique. Au Canada, les redevances sont uniquement recueillies sur les disques compacts enregistrables, chose que la plupart d’entre nous jugeraient dépassée. La SCPCP veut proposer des prélèvements sur les téléphones cellulaires et les tablettes, une proposition que le gouvernement a refusée jusqu’à présent. L’enjeu de clés USB et des disques durs portatifs n’a pas encore été abordé. Cet enjeu demeure une problématique à résoudre au Parlement.
Lisa nous a appris qu’en Europe, une moyenne de 3 $ s’ajoute à la vente de téléphones ou de tablettes uniquement aux fins de la copie sonore. Si la Loi sur le droit d’auteur devient plus claire et équitable, nos membres empocheront directement de l’argent. Un examen de la Loi sur le droit d’auteur a été entamé à la fin de 2017. Jusqu’à ce qu’il soit terminé, la SCPCP demande que le gouvernement prévoie un montant intérimaire de 40 millions de dollars par année pour le paiement approprié des redevances. Cependant, elle met en veille cet enjeu pendant la pandémie. Néanmoins, une solution législative semble plus réalisable qu’elle ne l’était.
Comment pouvez-vous aider la SCPCP, tout en vous aidant vous-même? Tout d’abord, vous pouvez appuyer ses comptes de médias sociaux. Nous vous invitons à visiter son site Web (www.cpcc.ca) où vous trouverez une brochure informative et une trousse d’outils destinée aux partisans. Au moment de la rédaction du présent article, ces derniers sont uniquement disponibles en anglais, mais une version française est en cours. Nous vous remercions de votre aide.
Francine
Secretary Treasurer’s Message
Robin Moir
Dear Members
This has certainly been a summer to remember, I hope every one of you is coping with this pandemic and staying healthy.
As you may recall, we informed the membership in our March News Harp, and again in the June News Harp that we would NOT be suspending or expelling members. We notified members that they would have until September 30 to pay their membership dues.
In late July, the Executive Board decided that we should be pro-active and alert the membership regarding the upcoming September 30th date. Our President Francine Schutzman took on the onerous task of calling musicians to personally inform them of the final date on which they could pay their membership dues.
As it turned out this series of calls was very informative. Some of our members had already paid their dues, and our database was not registering them properly; others were concerned because they thought that they might have the ‘stain of suspension’, follow them and perhaps stand in the way of AFM Life Membership down the road. Francine was able to ease that notion. There are no suspended members in Local 180 at the time of this writing.
We have updated the database and to the best of our knowledge it is in tip-top shape.
We have found that the easiest and most effective method of paying membership dues is with an e-transfer, and we calculate that over 80% of our dues are collected in this manner. However you may still pay by calling the office with your credit card number, or send in a cheque.
Thank you to everyone who has updated their status with us. For those who have yet paid, you do have until September 30th. If you find that you are unable to pay at this time, please let us know and we will resign you in good standing.
In terms of what is going on in Canada during Covid -19, President Francine Schutzman and I have been attending the many Zoom conferences that have taken place over the past few months, and she will be reporting on those forums.
I want to mention again, that the OFFICE HAS MOVED! Unfortunately, some of you missed that announcement, which appeared in the last two News Harps.
Our new address is:
500 Claridge Street, Suite 104 – Ottawa, ON K2J 3G5
We had to switch to a mobile phone to keep our old phone number which is:
613-235-3253
Bell is still doing some updating as of this writing, and we are hoping that they will resolve the issues with the transfer. At the time of this writing, the unit will not take messages, but hopefully they will fix that up by the end of the month.
From the conversations that Francine had with many of you, it is clear to the Executive Board that a great many of our members are not reading either the News Harps or the various messages sent out by the Local. Local 180 has promoted Braiden Turner as the Musicians’ Association Communications Director and she will be the point person for those members who are interested in posting notices with us and keeping us abreast of news that is happening now on the various social media platforms. Braiden will be staying current with our members along with the other Canadian Locals and the CFM.
You may reach Braiden at: braiden@ma180.org
The Executive Board was gratified to see so many members take part in our first Zoom General Meeting. It was wonderful to see so many in attendance, and we look forward to seeing you again, on Tuesday, September 15, 2020.
Thank you,
Robin
Rapport de la secrétaire trésorière
À tous les membres
Cet été a certainement été mémorable. J’espère que chacun est aux prises avec cette pandémie et toujours en bonne santé.
Vous vous souviendrez peut-être que dans le News Harp de mars, puis encore dans celui de juin, nous avons averti les membres qu’AUCUN membre NE serait suspendu ou expulsé. En effet, nous avons avisé les membres qu’ils auraient jusqu’au 30 septembre pour payer leurs droits d’adhésion.
À la fin de juillet, le Conseil d’administration a décidé que nous devions être proactifs et rappeler aux membres la date éminente du 30 septembre. Notre présidente, Francine Shutzman, a pris en charge la tâche ardue de personnellement appeler les musiciens afin de les informer de la date limite de paiement de leurs droits d’adhésion.
En conséquence, cette série d’appels s’est avérée très informative. Certains membres avaient déjà payé leurs droits d’adhésion, toutefois notre base de données ne les inscrivait pas correctement, d’autres s’inquiétaient, croyant que leur dossier serait possiblement « entaché d’une suspension », ce qui risquait de les suivre et de nuire à leur statut de membre à vie de l’AFM à long terme. Francine a réussi à corriger cette conception. Au moment de la rédaction du présent article, aucun membre de la Section locale 180 n’a été suspendu.
La base de données a été modernisée et à notre connaissance, elle est maintenant en très bon état.
Nous avons conclu que le virement Interac s’avère la méthode la plus facile et efficace de payer les droits d’adhésion, et selon nos calculs, plus de 80 % des cotisations sont perçues de cette façon. Vous pouvez cependant encore payer en communiquant avec le bureau pour donner votre numéro de carte de crédit, ou en nous postant un chèque.
Nous remercions tous les membres qui ont actualisé leur statut. Sachez que si vous n’avez pas encore effectué votre paiement, vous avez jusqu’au 30 septembre pour le faire. Si le paiement n’est pas possible pour vous en ce moment, veuillez nous en aviser et nous rétablirons votre statut de membre en règle.
Au Canada, sur le plan des déroulements pendant la COVID-19, la présidente, Francine Schutzman, et moi-même avons participé à plusieurs conférences Zoom au cours des derniers mois, et Francine vous éclairera sur ces forums.
Je souligne de nouveau que le BUREAU EST DÉMÉNAGÉ! Malheureusement, certains ont raté cette annonce, laquelle a été publiée dans les deux derniers numéros du News Harp.
Notre nouvelle adresse est la suivante :
500, rue Claridge, bureau 104, Ottawa (Ontario) K2J 3G5
Pour conserver notre ancien numéro de téléphone, nous avons opté pour un cellulaire, notamment le :
613-235-3253
La société Bell effectue encore des mises à jour au moment de la présente rédaction, et nous espérons que ces travaux permettront de régler les enjeux liés au transfert. Au moment de rédiger ces lignes, l’appareil ne prend pas de messages, mais avec un peu de chance, tout sera réglé d’ici à la fin du mois.
À la lumière des conversations que Francine a tenues avec plusieurs d’entre vous, le Conseil d’administration constate que bon nombre de nos membres ne lisent pas, soit le News Harp, ou les divers messages transmis par la Section locale. La Section locale 180 a promu Braiden Turner comme directrice des Communications de l’Association des musiciens, et à ce titre, elle sera la personne-ressource pour les membres intéressés à publier des annonces et à nous tenir au courant des actualités sur les diverses plateformes des médias sociaux. Braiden demeurera à l’affût des activités des membres ainsi que celles des autres sections locales de la FCM.
Vous pouvez joindre Braiden à : braiden@ma180.org
Le Conseil d’administration s’est réjoui de la grande participation des membres à la première Assemblée générale Zoom. C’était merveilleux de voir autant de personnes y participer, et nous anticipons vous revoir le mardi 15 septembre 2020.
Nous vous remercions chaleureusement,
Robin
Bylaw Changes Proposed by the Executive Board
Dear Members:
Please look carefully at the following proposed Local 180 bylaw changes. New sections are underlined. A rationale follows each one:
Article 2 – Duties of Officers
Section 17 – Price List Committee
a) The Price List Committee shall be appointed before March 31st each year and shall report to the general meeting in (September) June.
b) The prices adopted by the membership at the (April) June meeting shall become effective on January 1st of the following year and remain in force until December 31st of that same year. Any engagement booked on or after January 1st will be at the new rates.
c)The Executive Board shall be empowered to alter prices when it is considered by said Board to be in the best interests of the Local.
This reflects current practice. We had already changed these dates but not recorded them correctly in the Bylaws.
Article 6 — Trials and Penalties
Section 2 – Members of Local 180, or members of other Locals who are hired to perform engagements within the jurisdiction of Local 180, summoned before the Executive Board either as defendants or witnesses in a case must, if required by the Board, give their testimony under oath or by solemn affirmation. Refusal to submit to such condition may incur a fine of no less than fifty dollars ($50.00) and suspension until this Bylaw is complied with.
This change is suggested on the off chance that we should ever need it.
Article 8 – Rights and Duties of Members
Section 9 – It shall be the duty of every member to report any change in his home address, e-mail address or telephone number to the Local within thirty (30) days of such change. Any member failing to comply with this regulation (shall) may be liable to a fine of not more than ($10.00) $25.00.
What with postage, stationery and office time, it costs the Local c. $4.00 to send something through the mail. We often do this because emails get bounced back. Then, if the envelope is returned because the address is no longer valid, someone in the office has to spend time chasing down a member in order to communicate with them. Is this really how you want your membership dues spent? This being said, we changed the fine to an optional one in case of extenuating circumstances.
Section 28 – If a member sends a cheque to any officer of the Local in payment of an amount due to the Local or Federation, and said cheque is uncashable, then the member shall be subject to a fine of no less than (five) ten dollars ($5.00) ($10.00) (together with) in addition to all related bank charges incurred.
The $5.00 fine was out of date. Once again, consider the time that a staff member needs to chase down payment on an NSF cheque. And we thought that the phrase “in addition to” was more clear than “together with.”
Article 9 — Contracting
Section 16 – Leaders and/or contractors shall be held responsible for the hiring of musicians who cannot show by card of the Association that they are members in good standing. Any member who plays an engagement while he is suspended shall be subject to a fine (in the amount of the scale price of the engagement plus) of (ten (($10.00)) dollars)) twenty-five dollars ($25.00). This penalty shall apply to each such violation and shall be in addition to the reinstatement fee.
We’re trying to be kind here, so we’re omitting the fine of the scale price and are instead raising the modest penalty of $10.00 to $25.00. Please note that you will also have to pay the reinstatement fee outlined in Article 7, Section 2: no less than $25.
Section 20 – Work dues equivalent to 3% of the scale price of the engagement, plus the applicable pension amount, shall be paid on all miscellaneous engagements. Symphonic work dues, for those musicians working under a Collective Bargaining Agreement in a symphony orchestra according to the AFM’s description of same, shall be 3.05%. The leader shall be responsible for collecting and paying the work dues and pension. Unless other arrangements have been agreed to by the Secretary, all work dues and pension shall be paid to the office of Local 180 not later than thirty days after ( the end of the month in which) the engagement is performed.
Collection fees for late payment of work dues (will) may be charged as follows:
a) For second notice 10% of amount owing (or $5.00 whichever amount is less).
b) For third notice 25% of amount owing (or $10.00, whichever amount is less).
c) ( Invoices for work) Work dues and pension unpaid after third notice will be presented to the Executive Board who may order a fine or suspension or expulsion for failure to pay on or before a date or dates set by the Executive Board.
If contracts are not filed in a timely fashion, they won’t be accepted by the Pension office. That affects everyone on the job. The $5.00 and $10.00 figures were outdated and too low, but we changed “will” to “may” because there might be extenuating circumstances (there probably aren’t, but there just might be!). And stipulating that the monies were owed ten days after the date of the engagement meant that the requirement could be inequitably applied, depending upon whether an engagement was played the beginning of a month or towards the end.
Section 23 – Leaders must pay musicians within (three (3)) five (5) banking days of miscellaneous engagements. Exceptions may be considered by the Secretary-Treasurer.
We realize that it may be difficult to make all the necessary payments within three days, and we recognize that there are occasions where the engager may be late paying the leader.
Relief Fund Update
Dear Members,
To date the Relief Fund has received almost $50,000.00 in donations, which has allowed the Local to support many musicians in our area. These funds mean that we may continue assisting musicians with financial relief into 2021.
Please accept the heartfelt thanks of the Local for your donations… and if you ever had any doubt about how much this means to the musicians we’ve assisted, please read the following note which I am sharing with you now:
“Dear Robin,
Today, a good friend of mine helped me by contacting the union on my behalf and I just wanted to say thank you for sending me some relief fund benefits. We are fortunate to have such a supportive and dedicated union like the musicians’ union here in Ottawa and I feel such gratitude to be a part of it.
Take care and talk soon!
A word (or Two) to the Wise
We would like to remind everyone of language that has existed in our Local bylaws (Article 9) for as long as any of us can remember:
Section 13 – When a member is in default of payment to a brother member for musical services rendered and a claim is laid against the defaulting member, he shall pay the amount of the claim to the Secretary for disbursement to the claimant. The defaulting member may be fined at the discretion of the Executive Board.
Section 15 – A member, once engaged for a miscellaneous engagement, cannot be disengaged, nor can disengage himself except by mutual consent or with not less than four (4) weeks’ notice. In default of these provisions the leader and/or contractor must pay the disengaged member scale price, unless it can be proved that a higher price was the subject of agreement.
Section 23 – Leaders must pay musicians within three (3) banking days of miscellaneous engagements. (Please note that our proposed bylaw changes, found elsewhere in this issue of the Harp, include an allowance for exceptions to this clause).
When you are approached to do a gig by a contractor who is not known to you, or who may have a reputation to not paying musicians on time or at all, you might want to ask if that contractor has secured a deposit for the gig. We can point to examples of Local members who have gone to great lengths to make sure that musicians are paid for a gig that they contract even if they themselves get stiffed; on the other hand, there are a few who simply shrug their shoulders and leave the problem for others to solve. If you have any doubts about whether or not you can expect to be paid in timely fashion, feel free to call the Local for advice.
MUSICIANS GETTING BACK TO WORK
Musicians will be among the last people to be able to resume their livelihoods during this time of COVID. It’s not only that, for many people, we are not essential workers (although we know better…), but the very mechanics of music-making create more questions than have been answered definitively to date. There have been a number of studies made about how much aerosol is produced by singers and wind players, and the conclusions don’t always agree. Just as our instructions from health officials have changed over the past few months as we learn more about transmission of the virus, so have guidelines about safe ways to perform music, especially in groups, been a work in progress.
We realize that some of you will be asked to return to work, either in performing groups or at your “real” jobs if you are not fulltime musicians, so we caution you to keep something in mind: it is not enough to let fear of exposure keep you home. Assuming that your workplace will be following local guidelines for keeping employees safe, you may need a doctor’s note to stay home from work if you are in a position of vulnerability — for example, if you have underlining health conditions that put you at risk, or if you live with someone with compromised immunity.
We urge you to have a look at some of the studies that have been done regarding music performance. Here are some sources:
The International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians has links to some excellent studies on its website. Go to icsom.org and look for Orchestral Safety Plans: A First Look by ICSOM Counsel Kevin Case. This is quite comprehensive. Some of Kevin’s information is applicable only in the US, but the general principles can be broadly relevant. There is also an excellent presentation called Wind Musicians’ Risk Assessment in the Time of COVID-19 by Adam T Schwalje MD, DMA; and Henry T Hoffman MD (10 June 2020). Dr. Schwalje is a bassoonist as well as an MD.
Orchestras Canada (oc.ca) has a number of studies and information papers in its Resources section, including one entitled Reopening Your Orchestra, Part 1 with Chris Walroth. By the time this eHarp reaches you, there will almost certainly be more guidelines posted. In addition, Orchestras Canada, along with trombonist David Pell, has just sent a letter to Ontario’s Minister of Finance Rod Philips advocating a re-examination of some less-informed Stage 3 Provincial policies with a guideline for re-openings and a bibliography of relevant studies.
David Pell has complied a list of studies. This is ever-changing, but here are four (not yet peer-reviewed) that were published in August:
Comparing the Respirable Aerosol Concentrations and Particle Size Distributions Generated by Singing, Speaking and Breathing
National Health Service (University of Bristol)
Aerosol Generation from Different Wind Instruments (University of Minnesota)
https://www.nfhs.org/media/4030003/aerosol-study-prelim-results-round-2-final.pdf
International Coalition of Performing Arts Aerosol Study Round 2 (National Federation of High Schools)
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.07.31.20165837v1
OBITUARIES
Janet Roy
August 28, 1931 – August 21, 2020
Janet studied violin with Kathleen Parlow at the University of Toronto where she attained her Artist’s Diploma. She sang with the Festival Singers of Canada and at the Church of St Mary Magdalene in Toronto; was concertmaster of the CBC orchestra in Ottawa and spent 31 years as the Principal Second Violin of the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Most recently, Janet was Concertmaster of the St John’s Strings. Janet performed in many chamber concerts and recitals as violinist, violist and singer. She was passionate to explore new music as well as giving a new interpretation to a piece she had performed many times.
Janet died peacefully at her home on surrounded by her loving family and her selfless caregivers one week shy of her 89th birthday.
The Ottawa Citizen
Janet Roy was an original member of NACO (1969) and Principal Second Violin for 31 years. After joining NACO as a violinist, I was amazed by her boundless enthusiasm, inexhuastible energy, and limitless stamina. She loved to laugh and was always incredibly healthy. Her physical and emotional strength were a source of admiration from those of us around her. I remember her saying she played a recital the night her own mother died. That was Janet.
And this was in addition to raising her daughters, playing chamber music and recitals, singing with her beautiful voice, and painting in her spare time. After retiring from NACO, she was Concertmistress of St. John’s Strings and always occupied with her various other pursuits. The mold must have been broken when Janet came along! RIP Janet, although I’m sure you will be as busy in the next world.
Lynne Hammond
ZOOM to the LOCAL 180 GENERAL MEETING
Tuesday, September 15 @ 12:30 p.m. from your place
PLEASE SIGN IN AT 12 NOON SO WE’RE READY TO BEGIN ON TIME
If you know ahead of time that you’re attending, please notify dan@ma180.org so he can send out the past meeting’s minutes for your review.
Supply your own lunch.
NEW RELEASE
The Peter Forêt Project is comprised of 25 full-time professional rock, jazz and classical musicians from Canada’s national capital region. In between concerts, tours, theatre shows, backing international stars and other music projects the band members are separately involved in, they congregate at studioNINE in Navan, Ontario to record Peter Forêt’s original songs. The music reflects the diverse influences, experiences and tastes of the band. Jazz, Afro/Cuban, R&B, Gospel, Blues, Reggae….woven into the fabric of mature, elegant pop/rock.
If you have a new release, or just want to share some music-related news, please contact dan@ma180.org. We’ll include your announcement in the next issue of eNewsHarp.
. . . . . from our homes to yours:
SEPTEMBER GENERAL MEETING VIA ZOOM!!
SEPTEMBER GENERAL MEETING VIA ZOOM!!
This is a golden opportunity to attend a Local 180 General Meeting if you
haven’t been able to do so in the past because of distance or work.
When
Tuesday, September 15, 12:30 PM
PLEASE SIGN IN AT 12 NOON SO WE’LL BE READY TO BEGIN ON TIME
If you know ahead of time that you’re attending,
please notify dan@ma180.org so he can send out the past meeting’s minutes for your review.
How
1. Download the Zoom app if you don’t already have it.
2. Send Robin or Dan an email to confirm your attendance.
3. Wait breathlessly to receive an email with the meeting ID number and password.
4. When the meeting time arrives, simply click on the link in the email.
Special instructions: Bring your own pizza.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU (VIRTUALLY) THERE.
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS
During this time of Covid 19, there are no suspensions or expulsions for non-payment of past quarter dues. Payment of dues is however required by September 30, 2020.
New Members
Rachelle Behrens – Vocalist, Percussion
Hello, musicians!
For those of you who do not know me, my name is Braiden Turner and I work in the Local 180 office. I am an office administrator, and work alongside Dan and Robin. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time working for Local 180 for the past 4 years, especially getting to communicate with musicians daily. I have just graduated with an Honors Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Ottawa and am eager to put these skills to work. I am so happy to have become the new Director of Communications for our Ottawa office, and I have many ideas that I would like to see come to life. On October 1st, I will be launching our new online platforms, so please stay tuned for that. I believe that now more than ever, our musical community must come together and share our music with the world. I also believe it is important to highlight the diverse range of talents that our Local has, and hopefully inspire new musicians to join us. It gives me great pleasure to start this new chapter in my work with the CFM, and I look forward to speaking with all of you soon. I will provide more details closer to October 1st on our Facebook page, about how to contact me for sharing and posting relevant content for our page!
Thanks so much,
Braiden Turner
Dear Members,
Please email dan@ma180.org or call Local 180 at (613)700-9260 or (613) 692-7034, or (613) 314-0841 for any fees that are owed to you from media events, festivals, or any engagements that you have played.
Many times engagers have complained to us that they do not have the correct address for musicians, and cheques are misdirected.
However, if you are having difficulty receiving payment after three or four emails and telephone calls, your next call should be to the Local 180 office so that we can follow up for you.
AFM ID Numbers
Dear Members,
For the purposes of filing contracts, the Musicians’ Pension Fund of Canada has done a great deal of work to protect the privacy of members in terms of SIN numbers. Canadian Locals are now permitted to use an AFM ID number in lieu of a SIN number on all contracts.
When sending funds from the Local 180 office, we will require you to know your AFM ID number.
Beginning in January this year, the office has included your AFM ID number on your membership dues receipt, which you received in the mail.
You may also go to cfmusicians.org and register there to obtain your AFM ID number and update any information. The good thing about registering on the site is that when you update your personal information, it is also received in the office so that we are current.
Upcoming Local 180 General Meetings in 2020
Monday, March 16, 2020
Monday, June 16, 2020 – ON-Line VIA ZOOM
Tuesday, September 15, 2020 ON-Line VIA ZOOM
Monday, December 14, 2020
LOCAL OFFICE HOURS
Monday to Friday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Here are the closure dates from now until the end of 2020
Good Friday, April 10
Easter Monday, April 13
Victoria Day, Monday, May 18
Canada Day, Wednesday, July 1
Civic Holiday, Monday, August 3
Labour Day, Monday, September 7
Thanksgiving, Monday, October 12
Remembrance Day, Wednesday, November 11
Holiday Closing:
Closed – Wednesday December 23 at noon
Closed – Tuesday December 29
Closed – Wednesday December 30 until January 4, 2021
Attention Members!!!
Due to popular demand members may now pay membership dues using E-Mail Transfer using the email address
Once we process the transfer, we will send you an electronic receipt.
Thank you!
YOU’VE GOT MAIL & MONEY TO DEPOSIT!!!
Do we have your current email address?
The Local 180 Office sends out important advisories to members by email and we want to make sure that you’re reachable. This year the Local will also be paying most musicians using E-Transfer and Direct Deposit, so we MUST have your correct e-mail address.
Please notify the office of any changes to your contact information. Include your phone number, home address and email address.
Call (613)700-9260 to make sure that we have your correct contact information.
A REMINDER ABOUT EXPELLED MEMBERS
A person who has been expelled from our Association is no longer a member of the Association or the AFM. Members and leaders are reminded:
Do not play engagements with non-members. Persons are generally expelled for serious violations of our Constitution and Bylaws. Expulsion is not a life sentence; the individual has the right to settle these matters with the Board and regain member status. But until that step has been taken, we urge leaders and members not to give non-member rights and privileges which belong only to members.
MEMBERSHIP DUES 2020
YEARLY DUES – $207.00
HALF-YEAR DUES – $104.00
LIFETIME MEMBERS
YEARLY DUES – $104.00
HALF-YEAR DUES – $52.00
Next Deadline for Membership Dues September 30, 2020
PENALTIES
TO REINSTATE FROM RESIGNING IN GOOD STANDING – $10.00
TO REINSTATE FROM SUSPENSION – $35.00
TO REINSTATE FROM EXPULSION – $45.00
You’re invited to Town Hall with Minister of Canadian Heritage, Steven Guilbeault
Click here for tickets
The Local was asked to bring this to the attention of the membership as it is an important opportunity for all musicians to voice their concerns.
If/when you do register, of the mandatory fields are question boxes asking for the attendees top priorities [if you do not complete the boxes, you will not be able to register].
You may wish to be guided by the recent CFM Submission for Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of Federal Budget, posted on the cfmusicians.org website.
Thank you,
Robin
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