The Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) negotiations have concluded, and the new collective bargaining agreement has been ratified by the musicians. It took some time, it took some hard work, and there were some rough patches, but we got it done. The new agreement runs through August 31, 2029. There will be pay raises for both […]
Aloha members, welcome to the Fall edition of the newsletter. I’m happy to report that the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) has started its season with “Don Quixote” by Richard Strauss, “Pipa Concerto” by Zhao Jiping, and “Pines of Rome” by Ottorino Respighi, conducted by Music Director Dane Lam. The HSO Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) is […]
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE: Lookin’ Good , Aloha members, I’m on a bit of a time crunch; this will be a short article. You’re welcome 😉 The Hawaii Symphony Orchestra continues to garner accolades and rave reviews, presenting a wide range of programs, from Brahms and Beethoven to Keola Beamer with precision, musicality, and magic. Diamond Head Theater, […]
Gentle Heart, Gentle Hands Constance “Connie” Uejio (née Harding) comes alive when the subject turns to the lovely music she hears and plays on harp, organ, and piano. Principal harpist with Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) — retiring this year — has herself come a long way — Reading, PA — to share the special moments […]
As the year draws to a close, as I reflect on the last year, I’m choosing to look at the successes, the good moments, the things that have improved for our musicians, the things that have made our corner of the world a little better. As musicians, we strive to improve, but sometimes, it’s a […]
Member Spotlight: Engaging Differences with Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra’s Principal Bassist Shawn Conley Look him up. Honolulu-born Shawn Conley posts some amazing gigs in between cute pictures of his family. Just how amazing? There’s the new release, American Railroad, with the Grammy-Award-winning Silkroad Ensemble, celebrating, playing, and reveling in the differences of the indigenous peoples and […]
As I am writing this, 1,800 hotel workers, Unite Here Local 5, are on strike for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. Some of our members have participated on the picket lines, and we recently sent a band to play at Local 5’s action at the Hilton Hawaiian Village. We received words of appreciation from […]
Summer 2022 Newsletter President’s Message: Jim Moffitt I am pleased to report that orchestra musicians and Local 677 have completed discussions with the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and have ratified a new, four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement, which will run through the 2025-2026 season. With the leadership, involvement, and solidarity of the musicians, meaningful gains have been […]
President’s Message, Winter 2021-2022 Newsletter Aloha! I know this has been a challenging year, but I hope you all have fared well. We thank all of you for your continued participation in our union! As a positive, work for musicians has begun to ramp up as symphony concerts, theater shows, corporate/convention events, and free-lance gigs […]
Aloha members. I hope you all have been able to roll with the ups and downs of this extended Covid situation. We musicians are a resilient bunch, so hopefully, we all can hang in there until the end of this storm. In the meantime, we here at Local 677 have been keeping up with the […]