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Half a million a year for a Carnegie Hall stagehand; And they go on strike
Topic Started: Oct 2 2013, 04:26 PM (333 Views)
jon-nyc
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Cheers
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/10/02/carnegie-hall-opening-gala-canceled/?hp&_r=0
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Catlady
Junior Carp
Welcome to "backstage". It's been this way for a LONG time.
My boyfriend was in the NSO for over 40 years AND he was the biggest contractor in town. None of this is a surprise.
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Catlady
Junior Carp
You guys really don't realize the difference between backstage and onstage. Only the greatbighuge soloists make more than "backstage".
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Horace
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HOLY CARP!!!
Is the labor that skilled? How were they able to negotiate such massive contracts? How much leverage do they have?
As a good person, I implore you to do as I, a good person, do. Be good. Do NOT be bad. If you see bad, end bad. End it in yourself, and end it in others. By any means necessary, the good must conquer the bad. Good people know this. Do you know this? Are you good?
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jon-nyc
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Cheers
My guess is extortion has had a lot to do with it. We are talking about a union contract, after all.
In my defense, I was left unsupervised.
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Catlady
Junior Carp
A small percentage is VERY skilled.(especially when it comes to recording stuff)
But some of these guys do just grunt work. The most well paid guy I knew sat back stage reading Stephen King and handed the conductor a towel and a root beer after the concert. I doubt that he had more than a high school education.
Most of the people in the symphony had at least a masters degree and many
had doctorates.
Edited by Catlady, Oct 2 2013, 05:50 PM.
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Horace
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HOLY CARP!!!
jon-nyc
Oct 2 2013, 04:52 PM
My guess is extortion has had a lot to do with it. We are talking about a union contract, after all.
Seems likely. I gather it's a non profit (and receives government funds as well as donations). Seems ripe for bribery if not extortion.

I would expect that donations will fall off a cliff after publicity like this.
As a good person, I implore you to do as I, a good person, do. Be good. Do NOT be bad. If you see bad, end bad. End it in yourself, and end it in others. By any means necessary, the good must conquer the bad. Good people know this. Do you know this? Are you good?
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
Yeah, this story surfaces periodically.

This is the sort of thing that could only have happened if the institution was flush with cash at some point. Many companies have saddled the future with obligations that were unsustainable (short of open-ended public bailouts). It's not a shock that some non-profits would fall into the same behaviors. But the only big bailout that can save them is richer endowments and contributions from well-heeled private donors.

If I were one of them, Carnegie is decidedly not an institution that I would see as a good place to park my earned income or my assets/bequest. A well run organization does not structure its costs this way, a way that is quite out of line with other similar institutions serving the same purpose. Carnegie may be unique in many ways (we all like to think we are), but the labor market for backstage crew is probably not one of them.

There is a good case for an enterprise to pay a solid wage premium above market, if they have some advantage that permits them to do so. They will get their pick of talent, and that labor force will be keen to hold onto those jobs.

Something leads me to believe that 500K for an "average" unskilled worker is well above the premium necessary to secure the world's best backstage talent (whether they tune sound, or hand out towels). And if there are no incentives for those employees actually to perform well, then all you have done is point the institution toward eventual insolvency.
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brenda
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..............
What PD said is that they're fools to pay so much and it'll break them in the end. :P
“Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
~A.A. Milne
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
Nice clear summary. :lol2:
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kluurs
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Fulla-Carp
My piano teacher used to tell stories. He did some work in broadcasting. He could not move his piano bench if it wasn't by the piano.

He couldn't lift the lid nor the music rack. Union did that.

If the Union sent 3 eletricians to handle the lights - you had to pay 3. If they sent 5, you had to pay 5. One time they sent 1 who was so drunk, he was comatose. They couldn't revive the guy - did the lights themselves.

Edited by kluurs, Oct 3 2013, 12:39 PM.
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Steve Miller
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Bull-Carp
jon-nyc
Oct 2 2013, 04:52 PM
My guess is extortion has had a lot to do with it. We are talking about a union contract, after all.
There are people on both sides of the negotiating table when these deals go down.

Why blame only the union side?
Wag more
Bark less
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Piano*Dad
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Bull-Carp
Well, as much as you might want to be evenhanded, not all negotiating outcomes are driven by evenly matched forces. And not all outcomes are equally the responsibility of both sides. Take the budget shutdown, for instance …



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VPG
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Pisa-Carp
Piano*Dad
Oct 4 2013, 04:15 AM
Well, as much as you might want to be evenhanded, not all negotiating outcomes are driven by evenly matched forces. And not all outcomes are equally the responsibility of both sides. Take the budget shutdown, for instance …



True that! The management side get's all kind of pressure from political leaders "backing" the votors of those unions.
They need the thug vote.
I'M NOT YELLING.........I'M ITALIAN...........THAT'S HOW WE TALK!


"People say that we're in a time when there are no heroes, they just don't know where to look."
Ronald Reagan, Inaugural, 1971

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