The Day the Music Didn’t Dieby
Vedran Vuk
Unions have long terrorized American companies and consumers, but finally a small victory for consumers has been made. I speak about the replacement of Radio City Music Hall musicians with recorded music after an attempted strike by unionized musicians. The Radio City musicians are unionized in a coercive organization known as the AFM (American Federation of Musicians). This organization takes unionized coercion to a new level. All unions naturally use systems of coercion and intimidation to raise their salaries at the consumers' expense. Their tactics of strike are borderline criminal. Most people in the world who don’t show up to work for a week get fired. In the coercive union, a week off should be a pay raise in their own minds. In turn, the cost of raised wages to workers often exceeding productivity is passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. The AFM takes its criminal-like powers one step further by coercing its own members. The AFM operates a minimal health insurance policy for members as well as a gig-booking service. If someone wants to disobey the union, they risk losing not only further job opportunities but their health care as well. The president of the AFM, Tom Lee, said the following on the union’s website, "The American Federation of Musicians of the USA and Canada has placed RCE on the AFM International Unfair List, which means that no AFM member is permitted to work on this production during this dispute." The union designed to help musicians in the competitive music business is actually harming its own members. The attitude of follow me or "else" is not very settling to say the least. The union argues that their wages are sub-standard because Broadway shows are paid $40 a show more than the Radio City Hall musicians. Radio City musicians were paid $133 per 90 minute show. If the musicians feel that they are being paid too little, they should audition for Broadway shows instead of using a strike as a form of coercion. Secondly, the Radio City Hall show is not a Broadway show technically; therefore the comparison does not really apply. The average musician for Radio City makes about $25,000 in the Christmas season as well as minimal health insurance all year round. This is more than many musicians make in a whole year. But, somehow, these wages seem unfair to the union. The union argues that record high profits should be shared with the musicians. Who would try to increase their profits and build a bigger, better business if profits had to be shared with all employees?! The fact that the musicians have been easily replaced by recorded music also shows that the musicians are not the ones responsible for earning the higher profits for the company. The AFM ignorantly placed Radio City Hall on its "AFM International Unfair List." I thought that they were comparing only Broadway pay to Radio City pay. How can this be an international issue?! What does a musician in Aberdeen, Mississippi or even Zimbabwe, Africa have to say about these wages? They would probably die in shock at the high rate! Calling Radio City Hall "internationally unfair" is almost dumber than getting a pay raise for not working. The incredulously unthought union statements go further. Tom Lee says, "There is a strong rumor the RCE or its allies will try to reach out to unemployed Louisiana musicians, as a way of making it look like a charitable gesture rather than scabbing." What awful scum these Radio City managers must be to look for a good deal? There is nothing wrong with getting the best price for the same product; in fact it’s a great idea. There is nothing "charitable" about hiring someone who offers a better deal or more importantly is willing to show up to work as scheduled. Both parties benefit as in all non-coercive deals. Radio City gets more reliable musicians back at a possibly lower price, and unemployed Louisiana musicians get a job that pays more than most gigs in New Orleans. I guess the AFM considers anyone who as ever looked for a better deal as some sort of scum. This similar attitude can be seen in the notorious automotive unions. Automotive unions believe it horrible that someone may look for a better deal in labor (overseas) or product (Japanese cars). The problems of overseas competition and Louisiana musicians are the fault of unions increasing wages through coercion and intimidation to unrealistic levels. There is absolutely nothing wrong or criminal in peacefully achieving the best deal possible for a company through free market labor competition. There is something extremely wrong with using intimidation to force higher wages that are passed on to the consumer. Furthermore, there is something definitely wrong with cancelling a show that cost consumers money by organizing a union strike. I’m extremely glad that Radio City musicians have been replaced by recorded music. Unionized villains deserve no better. I hope to see next season opening with new musicians who will compete properly and fairly in a competitive market for wages. November 29, 2005 Vedran Vuk [send him mail] is a student of Economics and Finance at Loyola University of New Orleans and is currently displaced at Loyola College in Maryland. |