Local 802 Executive Board Issues a DO NOT WORK Order for Distinguished Concerts International New York

The Local 802 Executive Board has issued a DO NOT WORK order for Distinguished Concerts International New York (DCINY), which is has been designated an unfair employer under Article 4, Section 1, Paragraph F of the Local 802 bylaws.

As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the orchestra of DCINY is staging a rally with live music in front of Carnegie Hall on Monday, June 6 from 6pm to 7pm. The orchestra, many of whom are members of the NYC musicians' union (AFM Local 802), has been fighting for over two years for a fair contract with DCINY, a for-profit company that holds most of its concerts at Carnegie Hall.

Under Local 802's bylaws (Article 5, Section 6, Paragraph D), a member can be reprimanded, fined or expelled for performing for an unfair employer. Any musician who gets called to play for DCINY, is asked to contact Local 802 Recording Vice President Harvey Mars or the Local 802 Hotline.

For more than a decade, DCINY has operated as a producer and presenter of music at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. For many of its choral concerts, DCINY assembles choirs of amateur singers from around the world who pay a fee to perform in one of New York's most prominent venues. DCINY then hires a professional orchestra, soloists, and conductors.

The orchestra successfully formed a union with AFM Local 802 over two years ago. But their employer, DCINY, has essentially locked them out and refuses to offer industry standards like union wages, proper rest breaks, health insurance, retirement payments, recording or streaming payments, job security, a primary hiring list and more.

The company resumed live performances in 2022 and immediately replaced the full professional orchestra with just a handful of musicians. The company also attempted to replace professional musicians with an amateur high school ensemble. At a recent negotiation session, management introduced a new proposal that would force musicians to audition for positions they've already been awarded, which could allow musicians to be replaced permanently.

Management refused to schedule negotiations with the union for many months. This stalemate was finally broken after Local 802 filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge against the company. The company has also been charged with a second Unfair Labor Practice, which is in progress.