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FORMER LOCAL 198-457 PRESIDENT
ARTIE CABRAL
DIES AT AGE 83
It is with profound sorrow that the Providence Federation of Musicians (Local 198-457, AFM) announces the death of its former President, Artie Cabral.
Artie passed away on Sunday, September 17, 2023, at the age of 83.
For over sixty years Artie was known and respected as the premier jazz drummer in the New England area. He accompanied many of the stars of the jazz world during his tenure in the 1960’s at the Kings & Queens night club in North Providence, and in the 1970’s at Allary night club in Providence.
He was the drummer in the Woody Herman band in 1968.
He played in theaters and clubs throughout New England, including a number of Broadway shows in Boston.
He was a teacher and mentor to many young drummers.
He also served this Local, first as a board member, and then as President from 1998 until 2017.
Artie instituted the AFM pension plan for musicians in Local 198-457, an accomplishment for which he is greatly admired and thanked by members of the Local.
CLICK HERE to read Artie’s obituary.
NEW OFFICERS ELECTED
At the biennial nomination meeting held on September 19, 2023, the membership nominated and elected, by acclamation, a new President and a new Secretary-Treasurer.
Starting in January, 2024, the new President will be David Rufino, who currently serves as Secretary-Treasurer of the Local.
The new Secretary-Treasurer will be cellist Megan Koch, a long-time member of the Local. Sister Koch had expressed a strong interest in dealing with the Local’s administrative duties and functions. She will also be the first woman to serve in an officer position in the Local.
Vice-President Al DeAndrade was re-elected by acclamation to his position.
All four incumbent Executive Board members were re-elected to their posts, viz.,
Randy Cloutier
Joseph DeMarco
Yvonne Monnett
and Eliot Porter.
The other results were:
Delegate to RI AFL-CIO Executive Board: Al DeAndrade
Delegates to Providence Central Federated Council:
Al DeAndrade
Randy Cloutier
Eliot Porter
Delegates to New England Conference of Musicians:
Randy Cloutier
Joe DeMarco
Eliot Porter
Incumbent President Ed Plunkett announced his plans to retire at the end of his current term, in December, 2023.
IEB APPROVES DUES REDUCTION
The International Executive Board (IEB) of the AFM has approved Local 198-457’s request to LOWER membership dues.
The request was initiated by a resolution introduced at the March 6, 2023, general membership meeting and approved at the April 24 membership meeting.
President Ed Plunkett and Secretary-Treasurer Dave Rufino provided documentation to the IEB to prove that over the last three years the Local’s finances had improved dramatically. Reserve funds nearly doubled while membership increased by almost 50 per cent during this time frame.
Starting January 1, 2024, the membership rate for regular members will drop from $204.00 annually to $184.00 per year. The half-year rate drops from $102.00 to $92.00, and the quarterly rate drops from $51.00 to $46.00.
The membership dues rate for Life members is unchanged at $144.00 per year.
LOCAL ELIMINATES LATE FEES
By a unanimous vote of members present at the April 24, 2023, general membership meeting, the Local has eliminated late fees for membership dues.
Starting July 1, 2023, late fees will no longer be assessed or collected.
During the pandemic, the AFM had allowed Locals to waive late fees. This move proved to be a huge success, as many members were struggling with low or no employment during that difficult period. The enforcement of late fees was also a frequent irritant among members, when late payments were mostly the result of forgetfulness or oversights, and not malice toward the union.
When the AFM removed the late fee waivers in the fall of 2022, it was apparent that reinstating the collection of the fees would be annoying, if not harmful, to many members.
President Ed Plunkett introduced the resolution to eliminate late fees at the March membership meeting and, as mentioned above, it was approved on April 24.
Going forward, however, it will be necessary to enforce suspensions and expulsions more strictly. Members who are three months delinquent in dues payments will be promptly suspended and members who are six months delinquent will be expelled forthwith.
WAGE SCALES TO INCREASE ON SEPTEMBER 1
As a result of resolutions introduced at the March membership meeting, and approved at the April membership meeting, certain wage scales and cartage rates will see an increase starting on September 1, 2023.
Schedule I (“Casual Engagement”) scales, in Classes “A” through “F” will see an increase, on average, of $10.00 in the Base Rate (“W2 w/Pension), resulting in an approximate $13.00 increase in charges to the purchaser (“1099 w/o Pension”).
The change is an attempt to keep up with the high rate of inflation currently occurring, which has been particularly harsh on casual players. The new rate represents essentially a 10% increase over the current casual scale rates.
Schedule III (“Symphonic”) rates were already set to rise this September as a result of a resolution passed in 2022. The base performance rate moves from $127.50 (gross, $160.00) to $135.00 (gross $170.00).
The resolution passed in April realigns the symphonic rehearsal and overtime rates to a more rational system. Performance overtime rates will now be calculated at 1.25% of the base half-hourly rate, up to 4 hours, and 1.5% of the base half-hourly rate, over 4 hours. Rehearsal rates, including rehearsal overtime rates, will be calculated at 80% of performance rates.
Cartage rates will rise for many large, heavy instruments. The resolution to change the rates was introduced by Executive Board member Joseph DeMarco. The resolution attempts to bring the rates more in line with cartage rates in the neighboring metropolitan areas of Boston and Hartford, although the rates are still slightly lower than the ones in those cities.
The new Wage Scale book is available now. CLICK HERE to download and print a copy of the wage scale (138 pages).
AFM ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP
At the 102nd AFM convention, held June 26 – 29 in Las Vegas, the delegates elected all new officers and several new members of the International Executive Board (IEB).
At the beginning of this year, International President Ray Hair, Vice-President Bruce Fife, and International Secretary-Treasurer Jay Blumenthal each announced their intention to retire at the conclusion of their term.
The new slate of officers is:
– International President Tino Gagliardi, Local 802 (New York City)
– Vice President Dave Pomeroy, Local 257 (Nashville, TN)
– International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Shirk, Local 99 (Portland, OR)
Alan Willaert, Local 149 (Toronto, ON), was re-elected as Vice-President from Canada.
International Executive Board members elected are:
– Luc Fortin, Local 406 (Montreal, PQ)
– Ed Malaga, Local 171-610 (Washington, DC)
– John Acosta, Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA)
– Tina Morrison, Local 105 (Spokane, WA)
– Dusty Kelly, Local 149 (Toronto, ON)
Local 198-457 was represented at the convention by its two elected delegates, Executive Board members Randy Cloutier and Joe DeMarco.
CENTENARIAN ART MEDEIROS SUBJECT OF TV NEWS STORY
Just when we think our 103 year old member Art Medeiros has done it all, he outdoes himself again.
Now Arthur is the subject of a TV news story on WJAR-TV, Channel 10 (Providence).
The story highlights Arthur’s unbelievable golf skills. At the age of 103 he is still playing golf four times a week at his favorite haunt, the Montaup Country Club in Portsmouth, RI.
Many members know Arthur as a World War II hero and recipient of several purple heart medals.
In his younger days he was a fine trombonist. And he led his big band, the “Arthur Medeiros Swing Band”, for nearly fifty years.
CLICK HERE to watch the video of Arthur on WJAR-TV.