Aloha members, welcome to the Fall edition of the newsletter.
I’m happy to report that the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) has started its season with “Don Quixote” by Richard Strauss, “Pipa Concerto” by Zhao Jiping, and “Pines of Rome” by Ottorino Respighi, conducted by Music Director Dane Lam. The HSO Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is set to expire next year, and we will be going into negotiations soon.
Diamond Head Theatre is going strong in the new building, with a few more years until its CBA is up for re-negotiation.
On the freelance front, I want to talk about pension. I know it’s not fun to think about getting old, but we all end up doing it if we take care of ourselves and are lucky. So, how do we feed ourselves in those “Golden Years?” One good option is pension.
Our pension fund, the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund (AFM-EPF) is good to go. A few years back, it had some problems, such as more going out to retirees than coming in as new contributions. The good news is that the fund received assistance from the U.S. government, even though we aren’t a big bank or an oil company, so it’s presently in good shape.
Pension contributions on your behalf will net you money monthly once you reach retirement age, and you can even keep working while collecting, which will also increase your benefit amount. Plus, steady contributions now, will help keep the pension fund healthy, so it can keep you fed, later in life.
The only way to put money into the pension fund on your behalf is by making a gig union, turning in a contract. It’s possible, and not hard to do this. We’re here to help you work out a way to make it happen. The little extra work you put in now will pay off later on a regular basis.
From the Fall 2025 issue, Ke Ola O Na Mele