Strike Up the (New) Band : Los Angeles Rams Hire Non-Union Musicians to Play at Home Games

In an apparent effort to save money, the management of the Los Angeles Rams has switched from union to non-union musicians for home games. Robert W. Stava, secretary-treasurer of the Orange County Musicians Assn., said Rams management broke off negotiations with the union at the end of July when the union refused to cut the size of the existing band from 22 members to 15, which would have saved the Rams about $1,000 a game.

Marshall Klein, the Rams’ vice president for media and community relations, confirmed that the organization has a new band --which, he said, has 22 members. Klein referred any additional queries to Steve Novak, the Rams’ general counsel, who did not return calls from The Times.

It could not be determined how much the new musicians are being paid. Stava said the union members had received about $100 for each game, plus contributions to union benefit plans, which amount to about $25. The union had not asked for any increase in fees this season, Stava said. He said that the union, which had agreements with the Rams for the past 10 years, had been willing to discuss some staffing cuts, but that reducing the number to 15 “was going too far.”

The new band is being director by Larry Curtis, director of bands for Cal State Long Beach.

The band performs in an end zone bandstand at the northeast end of the field, starting an hour before the game and playing during touchdowns and timeouts. The band also accompanies Rams cheerleaders during their routines. It does not march or perform at halftime.

In the past, the cheerleaders also danced to tapes made by the band.

Curtis said the cheerleaders now use some taped accompaniment for their routines which were not made by the new band.