From the newsfeed:

Unemployment benefits at risk
Del. G. Manoli Loupassi, R-Richmond, is sponsoring legislation that would deny active symphony orchestra performers unemployment benefits between orchestra seasons.

If you'd like to make a comment, you can do that here:
http://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2012/hb1254

His email is here:
http://www.richmondsunlight.co...gislator/gmloupassi/

Maestro Eddins comments on this situation on his blog which includes the following amusing summarization of the *business*...

The Mitt Romney’s – Hard charging Neo-Cons on the Board who want to be seen giving money to something and want their beautiful music (read: Mozart), but oh those pesky workers keep getting in the way. Something must be done. And did I mention I made your yearly salary today?
The Revolving Door – Why oh why did I go into Arts Management? Everyone hates me, I’m caught in the middle, and there’s a sizable number of my co-workers who seem to live by the “Fake it ’til you Make it” philosophy. Mom was right – I shoulda gone to Med school. Oh well, on to the next job.
The Les Miserables – Everything, and I mean everything right down to the quality of the coffee in the lounge, is a plot by management to make our lives miserable. The only response to anything is “Go Union!!!” By the way, I shoulda been Principal in Berlin but my reeds sucked at the audition. But I’m over it. Really. But I shoulda.

Email from ICSOM (International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians)


FROM: Bruce Ridge, ICSOM Chairman
SUBJECT: update on proposed legislation in Virginia

Yesterday, the Virginia House of Representatives was to consider House Bill
1254, the bill which proposed eliminating unemployment benefits for
orchestral musicians in Virginia during the time of year when their
employers did not offer them work. The sponsor of this legislation, Delegate
Manoli Loupassi, has tabled his own bill, effectively killing the measure.

Much attention was brought to this situation, and the orchestral musicians
of the Commonwealth of Virginia received a great deal of support in their
efforts to defeat this proposal.

Praise and admiration goes to the musicians of the Richmond Symphony, the
Virginia Symphony, and their musician leadership. For the Richmond Symphony,
their leadership includes negotiation Committee chair Richard Serpa,
Orchestra Committee chair Stacy Markowitz, as well as former ROPA Executive
Board member Tim Judd. And for the Virginia Symphony, co-chairs Hazel Davis
and Scott McElroy, ICSOM delegate Laura Leisring, and ICSOM assistant
conference coordinator Tom Reel. Every member of each orchestra worked to
bring attention to the cause.

Great credit and appreciation also goes to ROPA President Carla Lehmeier-Tatum, AFM Symphonic Services Director Jay Blumenthal, SSD negotiator Chris Durham, and
SSD Counsel Rochelle Skolnick for their activism. The AFM's Director of
Government Relations Hal Ponder also assisted, and Doris Crouse-Mays
(president of the Virginia AFL-CIO) worked tirelessly on behalf of the
musicians in Virginia.

And, thank you to every musician who wrote a letter of support or
participated in the on-line poll at
http://www.richmondsunlight.com/bill/2012/hb1254/ where over 1330 people
expressed 97% opposition to the bill.

It was fantastic to see so many musicians working together and in unity on
such a great effort. The orchestral musicians of North America will always
stand together, and we must be vigilant in seeking out every opportunity for
positive advocacy and activism.