Rock Star Blames Unions for Music's Downfall, But Venue Workers Aren't the Problem
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/rock-star-blames-unions-downfall-music-workers-arent-problem
Machine Head's Robb Flyn says paying venue workers overtime is making is tough for bands to give the fans what they want.
***SNIP
While he is right about major venues, I know a lot of little bars in Wisconsin that bring in a band and they will play through to bar time. But we are not talking about the Harmony or the High Noon Saloon. We are talking big venues.
Venues these days are mostly run with Union workers. In most major cities, you have to take breaks during the day, where a band can't even sound check for an hour because the union workers need a "break." Nowadays if you play 1 minute past 11PM at any of the large Union venues, it costs the band $1,000 dollars a minute. When we were out with Metallica playing arenas they regularly play 20 minutes past 11:00PM, and they regularly paid $20,000 to do so.
Only the Metallica's and Pearl Jam's can pull things like this. Bands that have sold millions of records, and they can afford it.
Now this is where he lost me. The reason those unions are in place is not to screw the bands, but to protect the worker. If I work at a concert venue and the show runs 20 minutes over who is going to pay me overtime? The venue has contracted for a certain amount of time, in that time is labor costs. If you go over that time the labor has to stay there, and someone has to pay for that labor. I would also like to point out that these union workers at these venues also have homes and families. I assume that they would like to be able to go home and spend time with them.
Let’s go back to the Journey/Montrose show that Mr. Flynn was discussing in the first part of his blog post. The one where there were so many encores that the show went on until 2:30 AM. Did he ever think that the reason the unions came in and negotiated breaks and end times was because of shows that went on to the wee morning hours? These union workers do not work for free. I would not expect Machine Head to sign a contract to play for two hours and I come in and demand that they play for four hours while only receiving two hours worth of pay, and Mr. Flynn should not expect the union workers at the venues he plays at to work 12 hours for eight hours pay.
= new reply since forum marked as read
lol. And there isn't enough money overflowing those events to pay a little overtime to people not exactly making a huge hourly wage? 
I am a roadie so we are in my wheelhouse here...
When a band breaks the 11pm curfew the fines have absolutely nothing to do with the union. It's the venue that charges that money not the union and the union only sees extra money if they go over their 4 hour minimum. Usually on a union call for a concert there are two 4 hour calls, one for the load in and one for the load out. Then you have a handful of guys who get a show call, spot ops, stage hands, an electrician and a rigger. If either 4 hour call is breached then the union goes into overtime.
Most places that have a strict, finable, 11pm curfew are amphitheaters that have local noise ordnances to follow. There are curfews in arenas but most allow a few extra minutes without getting all bent out of shape.
That said, it is true that the labor bill is usually way higher (30-50%) in a union hall. However in most instances you get a much better quality of worker so the job goes faster.
Oh and just FYI if a band goes over the band does not pay the promoter does. Metallica and Pearl Jam aren't paying those fines out of pocket. 
In no way shape or form can Mr. Flynn be considered a "star" 
