Union weirdness ruins end of High School/College Jazz Festival
 

Here in Napa, we have an annual Jazz festival at the Historic Napa Opera House.
Napa Valley Opera House - Napa Valley Opera House
Volunteer staffed fundraiser to support local music.

Multiple High school bands and combo groups perform all evening with our college band ending the night.

So, the weirdness ~

The groups were getting a little behind schedule and the event was supposed to end at 10:30.

The last few groups were cutting tunes to to try to accommodate the union stage/house staff.

By the time we go on, it's about 10:20. We plan to do just two of our prepared four tunes.

Right towards the end of our second tune ( 10:30 on the dot ) they house lights come on and the stage crew start breaking down their equipment before we could finish. The rumble of the large flat carts behind the band was something else.

I don't know why they couldn't wait two extra minutes.
This was a community show, not some pro group getting top dollar.

I didn't enjoy the experience.


KT

The rolling carts and breaking down was all in view of the audience.

I wonder what they thought?
Our band director was furious.


KT

You have my sympathy.........
 

But, that is typical of union mentality. One of the reasons that I generally have no use for unions or their members/supporters. The guy that pulled the plug was probably the onsite "boss" of the group. Not weirdness, just plain RUDE!

There is no room for unions in this country anymore. Paying money to belong to a group that saves people for doing sub par work and getting high wages to do it is NOT how a person betters themselves.

Thats total BS! But typical for idiotic union mentality. Try working a trade show at a big city convention center. I had a couple of guys wanting to kill me for unplugging an extension cord. I was doing their job.

This coming from a 30+year union member, steward and delegate.

Amen to that.

That makes sense because if it were the latter, the union crew would have been quite happy to go into overtime for you.

Sorry you had to deal with that crappy situation.

Don't blame it on the worker bees. They probably would have gotten in trouble if they did not follow union rules. "They were just doing their job" applies here.
Not that it is not upsetting that this happened/happens.
I was once a union member.
Never been a fan of them, although there was a time they were necessary. Don't tell Henry Ford that though.

I think the union crew could've handled the situation better by quietly pulling the plug, but from your post, it is clear that nobody in your group communicated your intentions to the crew, and then you tried to play on until who knows when. So you got what you got, a lesson learned and a touch of wicked humor on the part of the crew. I bet it doesn't happen again. :)

_

Ridiculous. And indeed it does sound typical for the union mentality. But I have to wonder...what exactly causes the mentality that the union boss, or whoever, really feels the need to start breaking down before the song is over? What does that accomplish for them? What point, exactly, does it make?

Same for the extension cord example. What point does it make when they come unglued for someone else "doing their job"? Just trying to understand what the hell they (the unions) are trying to accomplish with this foolishness? Did they ever consider that it is this behavior that helps contribute to their poor, outdated image?

JA

Malicious compliance. Typical crappy union tactic.

Is it really the union? That sounds like a convenient target --- I am not union; rather I am an independent contractor/consultant.

This sounds more like strict city curfews on sound/noise.

I attended 'pro group' concerts at Greek Theater and Santa Barbara Bowl. Both had 10:00 PM cut off for siund ordenance. In SBBowl, the band had to drop one song from setlist. I was really bummed, but rules are rules. Either get the band to start earlier, waste less time between songs, or play faster tempo, or get City to change ordenance. Not Union's fault --- but they are a convenient target/excuse.

I do not think the noise was any concern. When I stepped outside, I could here loud music from across the street.

This week starts a major new music festival in Napa. BottleRock.
I seriously doubt shows will be ending at 10:30 each night.


KT

I only have limited experience with unions, but this sounds like usual union crap to me

Unions aren't something I can relate to either, but union or not....sounds like unreasonable idiots on a power trip imo. Sucky way to end a great evening...

THIS.SmileWavy

don't like unions?
move to china.
stay there.

Now here's a real intelligent response. If this is any indication of how union members feel about things, it's easy to see why the union's popularity is on the decline.

Gee, isn't China a workers paradise?? I mean its Communist, or am I mistaken???

I see no evidence that the union had anything to do with this.