The Musicians Union

[DJshaggy 0]

par·a·prax·is = A minor error, such as a slip of the tongue, thought to reveal a repressed motive

 

ahh i get you lol i doesnt speaky the English too good

 

well thats a lie i just cant type

[ChrisPointon 0]

Big Words come as a consequence of a big age http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/smile.gif . So Karen & Spin know some very long words http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/221.gif

[Peteee 0]

Official Change in the rules at The Musicians Union has now secured the right for DJ's to join the union and enjoy the benefits of MU membership including £10m public liability Ins. There are many other benefits available as well.

 

Following our debate on the subject within these pages I wrote to the to the Chairman and Branch secretary of MU complaining about the issues we discussed.

 

I asked them to consider a change in the rules.

 

At this time the MU were undergoing massive changes in their rules and have been consulting the membership on a number of issues.

 

This morning I have recieved a letter from the MIdlands District Organiser of the MU:

 

Dear Peter

 

RE MU MEMBERSHIP - DJS

 

Further to your correspondence dated 12th January 2004 concerning MU membership for all DJs your letter was referred to the General Purposes Sub Committee on 28th April 2004 for consideration. I am pleased to inform you that all DJs now have entitlement to membership of the Musicians Union.

 

I do understand your anger at being misled in the first instance but as a result of your letter and many others. MU policy has now been changed so that DJ's can enjoy the benefits and services of MU membership.

 

I thank you again for bringing this to our attention and helping to change MU policy.

 

Best wishes

 

Yours sincerely

Sarah Bell

 

 

I would urge all DJ's to consider joining the MU now that they have accepted us as part of the music industry.

 

TO join the MU visit their site at

http://www.musiciansunion.org.uk

 

With sufficient members (DJ's) in the MU we may be able to go the next step and get a special interest group represented within the Union. Someone like MIkeee and his current organisation could affiliate.

 

 

 

THANKS TO ALL THOSE WHO ALSO LOBBIED THE MU ON THIS

 

 

 

[YourBigEvent 0]

G8t nez m8

 

Sorry don't know what happened there...

 

Great news ol' boy !!!

[Paul Forsyth 0]

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/thumbup.gif

 

Great news and long overdue

 

Well done to everyone that had a hand in this

 

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/beer.gif

 

Vinnie

[ChrisPointon 0]

Nice one Peter http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html/emoticons/thumbup.gif

[mikeee 0]

Have spoken to my man at the MU, there is a membership vote, which finishs today for major changes to the MU. If it is a YES, then DJ's will be allowed in.

Membership fee's are: £112 (£99 if on Direct Debit), if your income from music is over £15K a year the fee is £220.00 a year. These prices may well go up, if the changes to the MU happen.

Edited May 11, 2004 by mikeee

[YourBigEvent 0]

£220 for £10m, that's cheap, will look into later.

[tonyj 0]

The musicians union have now updated there website.

 

 

and as another membership benefit, you can now download a

 

L11 DJ casual contract ....

 

for djs not currently using a contract (shame on you), this is a good start.

[Dukesy 0]

Just in case members thought this subject had 'passed away'......

 

Reminder Copy of letter received 28th Feb

 

QUOTE

Dear Dan Ref DJ Motion to the Regional Committee I thank you for your letter dated 22nd February 2005 in respect of the above and note the motion contained there-in. To enable the motion to be presented to the Regional Committee it will, under Rule VI (1b) require five signatures but currently your motion only has one signature.  A number of other motions have been received at this office but in view of the fact that the signatories to those letters are from different Regions the letters will be forwarded to the appropriate Regional office. Obviously on receipt of the five signatories to the motion I shall place the matter on the Agenda for the Regional Committee Meeting on 24th April 2005. With Kindest Regards Gary Hyde Musicians Union East South East Regional Organiser

 

In light of recent posts and comments in respect of the SG-6 thread and further discussion on the legality of digital media, etc, it might be a good idea to re-send your M.U. motion letter to your Regional Office.

 

Point 1 (below) is the 'essential request' to get the ball rolling and generate a positive result.

Any future 'negotians' with the MCPS, etc, will need to be spearheaded and represented by such an organisation which is not only long established, but has the resources and 'clout'.

 

Points 2-5 are equally important and can be refered to / discussed further once point 1 is engaged.

 

With regard to the figure of £199.00 quoted, in basic terms, the MCPS, etc, would be receiving 'an injection of funds' from an area that has never been resourced from before. If we acknowledge the fact that we receive benefits as MU members, why not a discounted DJ License??

Already, figures of £500+ have been quoted for 'other types of license', thus, a 'capped' figure is proposed that would amount to around the cost of a Chart double Album purchased once a month, and the figure quoted would need to be 'attractive' (especially when multiplied by the amount of 'potential' DJs who use such 'backed-up' digital formats in their work) not forgetting that such a license would cover the DJs who wish to use 'home compiled' CDRs legally and without recourse.

http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif

 

QUOTE

Address Your Address Your Address Your Address Your Address Your Address XXX, District Organiser Musicians Union XXX XXX Date Dear Sirs As a member of the Musicians Union, I would like the following request to be represented at the relevant meeting and motioned: 1) DJ members of the MU request an appointed representative to undertake issues and concerns of the DJ members including all aspects and related criteria of DJ entertainers, or, an MU member (DJ) to be nominated to act as liaison to the MU area reps. 2) An official Music Union DJ license that covers the licensed member to play backed-up music from original purchased sources onto digital format, and can be played-back via a digital playback device / purpose made DJ equipment. 3) That the original source material used is legally purchased and owned by the member. 4) That no music material backed-up will be re-sold, distributed or given away. Members to agree that MU / DJ license infringement would result in immediate loss of membership / license and possible prosecution from the MCPS. 5) That the license fee would fall into the same MU Subscription Rates as applicable to membership earnings; would include an installment option plan; not to exceed £199.00. Yours Sincerely Your Name Your MU membership Number

[Gary 0]

QUOTE (discodirect @ Mar 24 2005, 02:51 PM)

A number of other motions have been received at this office but in view of the fact that the signatories to those letters are from different Regions the letters will be forwarded to the appropriate Regional office.

Oh how very, very, very, DIXONS SATURDAY LAD - LIKE of the previously helpful looking MU rep. eg: "Sorry, not my section..."

 

I joined THE Musicians union ........ not the South MU, not the London MU, Not the little-bit-left-of-Watford-over-as-far-as-North-East-Oxford sorta-approximate-area-or-thereabouts MU. ...THE Musicians union.

 

I thought that "UNION" was to do with being a member of ONE big thing... I know...why dont four of us move into one MU area? Even better, why dont 3 other DJU MU members, and I all inform MU of our change of postal address - To Dans house !!!! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/071.gif then re-send our letters...

 

 

Rant over... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/ranting.gif As long as the (or a part of the) MU change their regionalist reasons for non-action, thus far.

 

 

Just one thing that I can see that the SG-6 "other license" has going for it, in the record companies eyes, is that it has strict damage liability for them - eg: The licence that you "buy" for £500 is effectively a "float" or "Pre-pay" for 5000 songs (at 10p each) to be transfered - if you've got say, 5050 songs to transfer, you can pay the MCPS the extra fiver http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/cool.gif Your quarterly returns (lists of tracks copied) allow MCPS to keep track of your copyright shifting activities.

 

A yearly MU license (once 5 legit DJ's all live in the same MU region) with un-controlled limits would mean that an MU license holder could effectively go copy-crazy and start copying his (or anyone elses) collection and start flogging harddrives full of the material for a few dozen quid per drive-full (as I saw on-line the other week - until MCPS Anti-piracy got tipped off http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/whistling.gif). There are people keen to make a quick buck out of peoples ignorance of music copyright laws.

 

 

 

Edited March 24, 2005 by Gary

[Dukesy 0]

I think point 3 & 4 could be heavily expanded upon to address issues that you've raised, however, being able to get record company 'confirmation' as you've already found out is not straight-forward when compleating an SG-6.

 

There is nothing stopping the individual member of the M.U. in forwarding an email to their Regional Committee member either except that the M.U. may not consider the 'email legit' if 'unsigned'. http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/smile.gif

 

I know that the 'goal-post' has been moved a little in this instance but it is not too unreasonable.

 

Also, Paul Westwell (who attended the DJU MAX) said that it was likely that if a M.U. Regional District Officer was to be nominated in the future to 'represent' the interests of member disc jockeys first, that he may in fact be 'first choice' as he's already had some 'contact'. But then again... http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/rolleyes.gif

[FDDJ 0]

I've just received a letter back from Garry Hyde (East/South Regional Organiser) saying that they need two more signatures from our area for the motion to be considered at the next regional committee meeting.

 

Anyone else a MU member for this area? He needs the two signatures by the 8th April! http://www.dj-forum.co.uk/html//emoticons/wacko.gif