New York musicians have new president
NewsThe New York City musicians’ union Local 802 has installed Tino Gagliardi as its president and executive director for the next three years. He ran unopposed for election, succeeding Adam Krauthammer.
A trumpet player on the club scene, he preceded Krauthammer in the post from 2010 to 2018.
When will this pathetic institution die. Unions have ruined music in America. Unfortunately, to some degree they are required to protect musicians from the proliferation of con artist “conductors” that runs rampant here. But these organizations need to understand that we’re no longer in the 1970’s golden age for classical music. And musicians need to wise up and ask what the union has done for them lately, aside from wasting away their pensions.
I don’t have any recent union knowledge but they did quite a bit of useful work trying to promote live music (MPTF) and keep the number of hired musicians from shrinking at major venues. Plus, they didn’t hassle the regional orchestras or churches, choral groups that did not have a union contract. Speaking of DC and Baltimore unions.
I was a member of three different AFM locals. Each was run by and for the benefit of a very small group of insiders.