 | Payroll Service - Part of the basic union wage scales
in an amount for "payroll responsibility." To help with this, our payroll
service is a full - service paymaster. This service can help our employers meet their
payroll responsibility in accordance with Federal and State Law. It provides us with
worker's compensation and temporary disability insurance. The filing of all Federal and
State Employer Reports, and the issuance of payroll checks are done on our employer's
behalf. |
| Rehearsal Rooms - that can accommodate from 1 to 60 +
musicians. |
| Pension - ( Our pension fund
provides some of the highest and most secure benefits in the industry. So long as the
leader or purchaser has signed a participation agreement, a pension contribution of
6% of Gross Payment is made on our behalf. All nationally negotiated AFM agreements provide for
pension contributions. |
| Medical - Kaiser Group Plans
are available to members. |
| Job Referrals / Bookings - Our office helps those of
us who have musical groups available or individuals looking for work to book professional
engagements. It is like having our own yellow page ad. We can go into our local office and
day of the week and scan a list of jobs available. |
| Directories and Referrals - The most frequently used
service we enjoy is our ability to find other professional musicians for engagements when
we need them - or, conversely, to make our own availability known to others. Often our
office handles emergencies when musicians are needed to perform. Each year the local
prepares a Directory listing of all musicians in our area by name and by their
professional capacities. Another Directory lets us advise our fellow musicians about any
businesses or other professions we have which they might patronize.
|
| Periodicals - We receive the International Musician,
the national publication of the AFM, and our local newsletter, Keola O Na Mele. Local 677
also publishes the Bugle, the award - winning newsletter of the Honolulu Symphony
Musicians. Letters to the editor and other submissions for publication may be sent to:
Editor677@aol.com
|
| Legislative Programs - On both the State and National
levels, Local 677 and the Federation are constantly working for legislation to improve our
position as professional musicians. |
| Contract Department - Our contracts are the bedrock
of our professional career. They are our protection. The contract department will assist
us in preparing contracts for our professional engagements, and we can have our contracts
personalized with our own groups' logo or other identification.
|
| Assistance with Recording - When we make recordings,
we can call on a wide variety if services from our Local. Recording agreements negotiated
on our behalf by the Federation offer us many protections as well as residuals and pension
credits, whether we are recording for others or creating our own product. In the latter
case our local also provides expert assistance with copyright matters, with ASCAP and BMI
forms and regulations, and in finding the best and most economical production resources.
When we are finished, our Local, will even assist us in promoting and selling our
completed product. |
| MPF, SRSPF & FMSMF Administration - The Federation
has agreements with recording and film companies under which the latter pay a portion of
their proceeds into special funds called Music Performance
Fund, the Sound Recording Special Payments Fund and the Film
Musicians Secondary Markets Fund. These funds provide support for live musical performances.
|
| Credit Union - As union members, we have the option
to join the Hotel and Travel Industry Federal Credit Union. |
| Negotiations and Collective Bargaining - We have the
right to have our Local negotiate with employers on our behalf. With major employers such
as the Honolulu Symphony, negotiated collective bargaining agreements cover wages and
working conditions in extensive detail. The Federation negotiates international agreements
with recording companies and booking agents.On most other jobs we use contracts based on
Local 677's area standard wage scales and working conditions, established by our members.
|
| Legal Assistance and Arbitration - Local performances
under our standard contract form and our collective bargaining agreements are covered by a
provision referring disputes or defaults in payment to binding arbitration,
enforceable in a court of law. Should a purchaser be found in default on a contract, our
Local will take the arbitration ruling to court, if necessary, to obtain a judgment
against the defaulting party. |
| On - Site Travel Emergency Protection - If we
encounter a default when we perform a union engagement away from our home Local, we can
call the Federation for immediate assistance. This includes, when needed, flying a
Federation representative to the site of the dispute to help us fight out and resolve the
problem. If an immediate solution cannot be reached, the Federation will even advance us
the money to get home or to proceed on to our next engagement. The Federation will then
retain an attorney for us, at no cost to ourselves, and sue the defaulting purchaser
for the money we are owed. |
| Other Convenient Services - To assist us in our
musical engagements our union makes available to us a computer, fax machine
and a copy machine which helps us get the word out when and where we are
performing. |
| Union Privilege Program - Not phony,
Not a gimmick. Not available to non-members. The AFM currently participates
in several Union Privilege programs that offer reduced rates and savings on a host of
consumer need. The AFM members can take advantage of the Union Privilege MasterCard
program, home mortgage program, prescription drug discounts, loan program and legal
services. |
MUSICIANS ASSOCIATION OF HAWAII / local677
