The ECMAs and the union representing musicians are starting the year off on a sour note.
The Canadian Federation of Musicians has put the East Coast Music Association on their International Unfair List.
That means union members are not permitted to perform at any ECMA functions, including the annual awards show coming up in April.
CFM president Alan Willaert says the agreement with ECMA expired three years ago and the musicians can no longer work without a contract.
“It will always be them that is exploited in the end. And that is where I’m afraid this is going to go and that is why we are so adament this time around that there will be a deal or our players will withhold their services.”
Willaert says the move is to protect musicians.
“The East Coast Music Association are a very functional unit and they do a lot of good work. But one week a year, they become an employer. And that always brings out the worst in people.”
Willaert says CFM has tried numerous times to enter in to negotiations with ECMA and hopes this action will help get a deal done.
Meanwhile,
ECMA Executive Director Andy McLean says the organization wants to bargain with the musicians union, but wanted to be able to bring the terms to their members.
“We wanted to look at the agreement that has been just generally signed off on the last few years and bring it to our members attention. Get a sense from them if this was something they wanted us to continue with.”
McLean says the ECMA is in no way anti-union.
He says the ECMAs just wanted more time to educate their members on the benefits of being in the CFM.
“To give the membership a chance to really get an understanding of what the union had to offer and to give the union an opportunity to really reach out to our membership and let them know the advantages of being in the union. Then we could have a full transparent discussion and make a decision likewise.”
McLean says the work the CFM does is beneficial to many of their members.
He says he will be reaching out to the union this week.
McLean’s goal is to reach an agreement in time for the annual awards show in April.
