Musicians Sent Down the River

* In case anyone in Ventura County is wondering what the musicians from the former Ventura County Symphony and Conejo Symphony Orchestra think about the recent “compromise” deal that the president of the American Federation of Musicians and the New West Symphony Assn. board president cut, here’s what’s being said: “Unbelievable, devastating, betrayed, reprehensible, a Swiss-cheese agreement” and other things I cannot print here.

The musicians have been sent down the river by the very people they pay to represent them. The agreement was so poorly written that there are no means of enforcing it. No grievance procedure or binding arbitration. And, as I write this, the symphony is already in violation of this Swiss-cheese agreement on several accounts. It is small wonder that there has been a decline in unionism in this country over the years.

I have been a member of the Ventura County Symphony Orchestra Committee since January, 1994. The four-member committee was elected by orchestra members to represent them. We have talked, met, discussed, thought, wrote, faxed, cried, prayed, called and spent many sleepless nights doing what we knew was right and what our orchestra members told us they wanted. After having spent so much time and effort to maintain our jobs, I find it reprehensible that a union president could sign and seal our fates without ever consulting us.

LUCY R. SALAZAR

Simi Valley