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JUSTICE FOR JAZZ ARTISTS! NYC Jazz Musicians Protest for Pensions at Madison Square Park Today
By: BWW News Desk Aug. 07, 2013
Today, August 7, New York City jazz musicians and Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians will be leafleting in Madison Square Park to raise awareness of the ongoing battle to establish union benefits for jazz musicians in the jazz capital of the world, New York City.
Justice for Jazz Artists calls on restaurateur Danny Meyer (owner of Jazz Standard and restaurants including the Union Square Café, Gramercy Tavern and Shake Shack) to sit down to discuss economic justice with the musicians who bring patrons into his clubs. Protesters will leaflet outside several locations owned by Meyer's food and entertainment empire, Union Square Hospitality Group USHG.
Jazz Standard is among a group of major New York City jazz institutions-including Blue Note, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, Iridium, and The Village Vanguard-who have refused even to meet with musicians to discuss steps that can be taken to alleviate the exploitation of hard-working jazz artists. Jazz musicians deserve a fair minimum pay scale, direct pension contributions, protections around recordings and a fair grievance process.WHAT:
Justice for Jazz Artists Leafleting and Demonstration
DATE:
Wednesday, August 7
TIME:
6:00 p.m.
WHERE:
Meet at the corner of 23rd Street and Broadway in front of the statue
About Justice for Jazz Artists
The Justice for Jazz Artists campaign seeks to work with NYC jazz clubs to ensure that jazz musicians receive fair pay, modest pension contributions, protection of their recording rights and a reasonable process for addressing grievances. In 2007 the Justice for Jazz Artists campaign helped New York City jazz club owners to successfully lobby the State Legislature to waive the sales tax on admission charges, with the express understanding that a portion of this savings would be directed toward modest pension contributions on behalf of musicians. Since the law's passage, not one club has made any pension fund contributions. Justice for Jazz Artists wishes the City's best and most cherished jazz institutions continued success. However, due to the tax cut achieved in concert with the union, the major NYC jazz clubs like the Blue Note, Iridium, Village Vanguard, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola, The Jazz Standard and Birdland can also afford to do right by the musicians who bring patrons through their doors. Fairness. Dignity. Respect. Now's the Time!
Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians is the largest local union of professional musicians in the world. It unites to fight for the common interests and well-being of musicians employed in New York's music and entertainment industries through collective bargaining and legislative and political action. The union seeks to help musicians by advancing industry standards that dignify musicians' labor and honor and enrich their art, and seeks to organize into a community all musicians and aspiring musicians, and to reach out to all who share their interests and passion. Local 802 of the AFM is an organization committed to upholding the integrity of live musical performance and to advancing the vital role of music in education, and in the economic, cultural and social life of their communities and beyond. Local 802 advocates for economic and social justice for musicians and for society as a whole. Its members live in all five boroughs of New York City, Long Island, upstate New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. http://www.local802afm.org/
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