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 […]
As the year draws to a close, as I reflect on the last year, I’m choosing to look at the successes, the good moments, the things that have improved for our musicians, the things that have made our corner of the world a little better. As musicians, we strive to improve, but sometimes, it’s a […]
As I am writing this, 1,800 hotel workers, Unite Here Local 5, are on strike for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Some of our members have participated on the picket lines, and we recently sent a band to play at Local 5’s action at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We received words of appreciation from […]
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE, Dec. 2023 Aloha MAH members. With the new year upon us, I’d like to take this opportunity to look back and reflect on what has occurred in our union world in 2023. First, happy 100th-year anniversary to us, the Musicians’ Association of Hawaii, Local 677. On the Freelance Front Although Covid is still […]
Summer 2022 Newsletter President’s Message: Jim Moffitt I am pleased to report that orchestra musicians and Local 677 have completed discussions with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and have ratified a new, four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will run through the 2025-2026 season. With the leadership, involvement, and solidarity of the musicians, meaningful gains have been […]
President’s Message, Winter 2021-2022 Newsletter Aloha! I know this has been a challenging year, but I hope you all have fared well. We thank all of you for your continued participation in our union! As a positive, work for musicians has begun to ramp up as symphony concerts, theater shows, corporate/convention events, and free-lance gigs […]
OF NOTE: Theater Musicians Take Note! This past September, Diamond Head Theatre began its third season under our new Collective Bargaining Agreement, with a step up in the per-service rate. The union theatre musicians negotiated a 24 percent increase in rate over the previous agreement. New paid doubling rules, rehearsal break rules, etc. are being […]
Aloha members, A little recap of the year gone by: In September, the Hawaii Symphony began its eighth season, and bid farewell to Executive Director Jonathan Parrish, who left the islands to head up the Maryland Symphony Orchestra. The HSO is now under the direction of Interim Executive Director Scott Harrison. We wish both Jonathan […]
Aloha Kākou, I am writing to you all during my last week as President of the Association. Soon, I will be relocating to the Mainland in the San Diego area. This is both a career- and family-based decision; however, with all honesty, in all of the places I’ve lived during my life, this feels as […]
Aloha kākou, We have had a busy first half of 2018: After over a year and a half of negotiations, the musicians at Diamond Head Theatre finally have a contract; The Hawai‘i Symphony Orchestra has completed another season and we are currently negotiating a new agreement; The Hawai‘i Opera Theatre has leadership changes and is […]