East Coast Music Association to negotiate with union after earning spot on 'unfair list'
Anjuli Patil | CBC News | Posted: December 27, 2016 11:03 PM | Last Updated: December 28, 2016
Without an agreement, the American Federation of Musicians says the association could exploit performers
The East Coast Music Association says it will negotiate with a union representing Canadian musicians after it was placed on an international "unfair list" for employers involved in contract disputes.
The list — posted on the American Federation of Musicians' website — names the association, executive director Andy McLean, and board chairman Dean Stairs.
"We look forward to establishing an agreement with the (union) that works for all our members," Stairs wrote CBC News in an email Tuesday.
The federation, an umbrella organization that includes the Canadian Federation of Musicians, says without an agreement, musicians who perform at the association's annual East Coast Music Awards could be exploited by having their material used in the future without compensation.
Members advised to boycott ECMAs
"We're warning our members that have not yet entered into an agreement to be wary of this and to refrain from doing (the show) until we can get this straightened out," Alan Willaert, Canadian vice-president of the American Federation of Musicians, told CBC Radio's Information Morning.
The East Coast Music Awards, held once a year in one of the four Atlantic provinces, gives musicians from the area and abroad an opportunity to share their music with fans in the region and professionals who book acts for other areas.
Willaert said the federation has been unsuccessfully trying to reach an agreement with the association for two years. He said the association has routinely delayed the process.
"The only reason we could think why, is that they wanted the freedom to go ahead to record and exploit the musicians at will," he said.
That could mean using music from showcases and the awards show in a jingle or other medium.
Musicians seeking compensation
"The musicians are generally paid for those kinds of uses. And there's also limitations on how long you can use these broadcasts," Willaert said.
"All of these things are put in place to protect the musicians' rights and to make sure they're properly compensated for any other uses of recordings."
The agreement also covers the minimum fee for showcases and the awards show. As well, it entitles federation members to a pension and includes limitations on what the association can do with the recordings of the performances.
All of these precautions, Willaert said, have been put in place with every employer.
Separate agreements in the past
Willaert said the reason why musicians performed at the awards show and its showcases for the last two years is because it had separate agreements for the live show with the association and the broadcaster at the time, Eastlink.
Willaert said Eastlink is no longer involved on the broadcast side.
"We served notice to bargain seven months in advance. We had a meeting in Halifax in late October, which is plenty of time for the award show which is next May," he said. "It was made clear to us at the time they were not not prepared to enter into an agreement."