Musicians to Rally in Front of Carnegie Hall for Professional Standards & a Fair Contract

The orchestra of Distinguished Concerts International New York (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.

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.

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 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. Musicians have responded with protests and demands for a fair contract.

Percussionist Andy Blanco, who performs in the orchestra and serves on the musicians' negotiating committee said, "While we enjoy the work of playing in this orchestra, it often involves unreasonably long rehearsals with inadequate breaks; intense, physically demanding performance days; and an atmosphere of fear due to frequent retaliation for voicing concerns to management. We do not have a contract, do not receive benefits of any kind, and have no guarantee that we will be hired for future engagements. To address these issues, we came together with the support of Local 802 to negotiate a fair collective bargaining agreement that allows musicians to express our concerns without fear of retribution."

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.

Violinist Tallie Brunfelt, a member of both the orchestra and the negotiating committee, said, "This struggle isn't just about our orchestra. This is about maintaining professional standards for musicians everywhere, but especially at a prominent venue like Carnegie Hall, which our company uses as a home base for its concerts."

"An injury to one is an injury to all," said Local 802 President Tino Gagliardi. "We must stand up for professional standards, especially when an employer hires musicians to perform at an iconic major venue like Carnegie Hall. We demand a fair contract for the musicians of DCINY."

"Our demands are simply what every musician in NYC deserves," said Local 802 Recording Vice President Harvey Mars, who is also the attorney leading negotiations on behalf of musicians and the union. "All musicians deserve professional standards. Unfortunately, we feel the company is retaliating against the musicians by replacing the full orchestra as we attempt to negotiate a fair contract. Shame on them."

Musicians are asking the public to attend the rally and sign their petition of support.

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