Posted by js on May 17, 2002 at 22:17:21:
In Reply to: Is Union membership helpful? posted by union member on May 15, 2002 at 19:36:27:
In my town the Union has dwindled down to almost nothing...not even everyone in the Symphony.
I would think that most everyone who plays gigs are happy with what they are paid. If they are not, I would assume that they would not accept the work. One of my customers (I own a music store.) asked me today if I would come play with his band in one of the clubs on Beale Street (Memphis). He plays mostly old Sun and Stax stuff along with originally Memphis-recorded Rhythm-and-Blues. I knew without asking that these gigs would be some hard playin' (doubling on trombone and trumpet), long hours, and low pay (probably not much more than $75 per night). If I decide to fill in sometimes (He asked if I would show up tonight. Obviously I declined.), I'll do it for fun and understanding the terms. Obviously, working my butt off for three or four hours for 75 bucks (particularly after a hard day's work) doesn't exactly pay the bills as well as loading a couple of ebay auctions does. On the other hand, getting paid a little bit of money for recreation - doing something that I'm very comfortable doing - isn't a bad deal, either. I don't need a Union to help me make these types of decisions. In my personal experience, most engagements offered to me pay well above (at least the local) "Union scale".
- one person's perspective