Approved electronically as amended by the LFU Executive Board on May 8, 2013

Longy Faculty Union Special Meeting
April 29, 2013
8:30 pm

Present:   Deborah Beers (Debbie), Jonathan Cohler, Erik Entwistle, Jane Hershey, Clay Hoener, Meghan Jacoby, Shizue Sano, 25 other faculty members

LFU President Clay Hoener called the meeting to order at 8:35 p.m.  He stated we were there mostly to listen, to hear what is on peoples’ minds, and find out what we can do to support people.  He stated we have been at work non-stop each day since March 6 when the Community Programs closing was announced.

Lisa Lederer reported from the Site Committee on various sites.  The Site Committee had visited a lot of sites, public and private schools, rental/lease spaces and looked into buildings for sale.  There are many sites who want to rent space, but few that are set up well for a music school setting.  Schools that had weekday space had various logistical issues.  

It was mentioned that Chris Vuk was ready to absorb probably as many of us as wanted to go with him in his new building.  Some problematic aspects of the new building were announced.  Other sites and possibilities were mentioned as well.  

At 8:45 representatives from Longy Community Action (LCA), Julie Mortimer, Martin Burcharth, and Alexandra Moellman, came to our meeting. Clay introduced them and thanked them for the considerable work done by the LCA.  The LCA reps made a presentation that lasted to 9:05 pm., including responses to some faculty questions.

Martin announced that Pam Kogut of the LCA could not be present. There was a recent loss in Pam’s family. Martin stated, though, that there was “good news.”  He reminded us that at the last LFU faculty meeting he attended, he had asked for our patience.  Martin stated it had taken a long time to arrange, but that Bard President, Leon Botstein had offered to meet with members of the LCA on May 6.  The LCA had succeeded in having that meeting moved earlier.  

Representatives from the LCA had met with Botstein on April 26 for an hour and a half in New York, with Longy President Karen Zorn also in attendance, mostly listening.

Martin stated that the meeting had gone very well.  He stated that Botstein had listened to concerns, and appeared eager to reach a conclusion.  It appeared clear to the LCA reps that Botstein wanted to solve problems.

The LCA reps passed around a sheet of paper entitled, “Longy Community Action Report and Proposal.”  The paper stated in an introductory paragraph, “The parents left the meeting [with Leon Botstein] with a strong conviction that Botstein is personally committed to establishing a new Community Programs school/division, independent from Longy management and built from the existing CP, and doing so within the next month…”  The page contained 11 bullet points, including “The plan would allow for being connected with Bard College and the Longy Conservatory, but  details of the relationship would need to be worked out.” Another point stated, “Faculty should be directly involved in working out the details in conjunction with Zorn/Botstein, presumably through a committee of two or three faculty members.” Items on the handout were reiterated orally in the LCA presentation.

Martin continued, saying that the LCA committee has worked very hard, has lots of expertise, is eager to help us, and would like to work together with us to a common goal.  He stated he had talked to Victor Rosenbaum regularly for two months, Victor has contributed important input, and is very happy with Botstein’s offer.  Martin also mentioned having heard from a member of the Harvard Music Department that faculty of that department were eager for the plan to work out.

Julie stated that there is nothing in writing from the meeting with Leon Botstein.  The LCA reps felt he was genuinely committed to getting something done by the end of May, and was enthusiastic about fundraising. They said he was good at fundraising as well.  She stated that public relations motives appeared to be a motivation for him to act quickly.

The details of the offer would need to be negotiated between the faculty and Bard.  If we were not interested in accepting the offer it would be ok, we were told.  One of the bullet points in the LCA document stated “The parents felt pleased and optimistic with the outcome of the Bard meeting, but are only interested in an arrangement that is viewed positively by the faculty.”

The suggestion the LCA reps passed to us from Pam Kogut was that we obtain a lawyer to maximize our autonomy and Bard’s contribution.  The plan would involve a committee of two or three faculty to work the plan out with Karen Zorn.  There would be a possibility of a spin-off after one year.

Martin stated that it does not mean there is no other option than the plan offered by Botstein.  He said, “Don’t think of it as a last option,”  and that it is “not a dead end.” Martin said we could think of this as a very long reprieve, which can be as long as we want.

In response to a faculty member’s question of the timing of working out the arrangements, we were told that working out the business plan would take a week to ten days, and other papers would be ready to sign by the end of May.  We were told again that the details were not worked out.  In a response to a faculty member’s question about how much money Bard would devote to the project, Martin said Botstein was not specific.  He said Bard would cover the cost of the site.  Martin said Botstein made it apparent to the LCA reps that he wanted to solve the problem, which had been handed to him from Longy’s President.

In response to a faculty member’s question about the location of the new program, Martin stated it would not be a problem to obtain one.

At 9:05 p.m. the LCA reps left us and Chris Vuk and Nick Hogan from the Music Makers Foundation joined us for 20 minutes to make a presentation.  Chris gave faculty members a thirteen-page handout entitled, “Music Makers Foundation Proposal to Longy Community Programs Faculty Members.”  The handout lays out a proposal for “the absorption of all current Longy School of Music Community Programs class offerings, not limited to private lessons, ensembles, and electives as of the effective date of September 1, 2013.”

The hand-out laid out the vision, organizational structure, pay and benefits for faculty, hiring and firing, class schedule, teaching assignments, performances, information about the organization, the duration of the agreement, and a description of teaching space at 535 Cambridge St., Cambridge.  Color pictures were included.

Chris explained his vision of building music education in the future to bring together classical and other kinds of music teaching that would lead to innovative performing groups, and perhaps an online school and institution of higher learning.  He would like to build a classical music school in addition to his School of Groove, and is offering to absorb our CP program in the classical school.  Chris explained aspects of his offer that were included in his written proposal.  The process involved in absorbing Longy Community Programs would be to ratify the agreement and work out the payment with each individual faculty member, prepare a press release and notify families, hold a fundraising event, start committees, and build a website.

After Chris and Nick left, Clay immediately invited discussion from the floor. Comments and questions were made from the floor, and responses to questions were given.  Included in the discussion:

• Excitement was expressed that we now had two possibilities to choose from when at one time we had had none.
  

• In response to a question about whether the two offers are mutually exclusive, Clay responded that we could ask for what we want.
  

• Concern was expressed about the basement of Chris’s property.
  

• In response to comments and questions, Clay said that Chris would be moving forward no matter what we do; Chris would add soundproofing to the facilities, and we would work for him if we accepted his offer.  Chris would be able to take the vast majority of us, but Chris would also have the right of first refusal.
  

• In response to the question “How long would it be before we need a union?” if we accepted Chris’s proposal, Clay said Chris is willing to accept a union.
  

• Questions were posed about what it means to be under separate leadership from Longy, and whether people found it clear whether Botstein was a part of the current “administration.”
  

• It was pointed out that nothing is written down by Botstein in the plan presented by the LCA.   
  

• The desire for availability of financial aid was expressed.
  

• In response to a question about the faculty pay rate in the Botstein proposal, Clay said, “You know as much as I do.”
  

• Appreciation was expressed for what members of the LCA have done, including the petition, the input into the Cambridge City Council, and obtaining a seat at the table with Botstein.  Yet concern was expressed by the same person for the lack of definite commitment in the Botstein proposal as to what help he would actually offer.  
  
• Concern was expressed that members of the current administration might find their way into the new community programs.
  

• When concern was expressed that 1 ½ hours with Botstein was not a long time for a meeting, Clay mentioned that the LCA reps had also had one hour alone with Longy President Karen Zorn.  
  

• The opinion was expressed that Botstein’s proposal could be reasonable if we have direct input into it, and don’t have an autocratic director.
  

• Concern was expressed that we should be talking about obtaining a site, because we don’t have one, and that is the crucial element.
  
  

Clay invited people to speak who had not yet spoken.  Comments included:

• The opinion was expressed that it was not a good idea to start a new school/division with leadership from Bard, when Bard had walked out of Delano.  The correction was made that Bard did not walk out of Delano: Bard was asked to leave because it failed to fulfill any of its promises to the school.
  

• The question was asked what Botstein’s motivation was.
  
  

Clay explained that in the email of April 22 the LFU Executive Board sent to the faculty on behalf of the leadership of the LCA, we had explained that the parents would ask for one year in the Longy building under separate management, and what we heard back from the LCA parents was a different plan.  He reminded us that meeting we had had a hand vote that faculty wanted both severance and money for a transition to a new school.

Subsequent comments from the floor included:

• It was “unclear what Botstein promised”
  

• Why should we trust them (Bard College)?
  

• There is a lack of detail in the LCA plan
  

• We have wanted to stay together, but maybe we should start considering a Plan C, that would involve accepting high severance pay that would allow us to move in groups of people to different sites.  We could then connect with each other, and maybe some day a stronger bond would develop and we would form a new school.
  

• We have no money or time – we knew two weeks ago we would need to have a launching pad around now, and it’s not there;  it appears that there is not enough time to engage in negotiations, find a location, set up a structure and raise enough money to insure success in the time frame that has been forced upon us by Longy’s timing of the closing of CP.
  

• We do have a launching pad: the parents are galvanized around the Botstein offer, and we would lose parents’ support if we did not accept the offer.
  

Strategy was discussed.

Clay reminded people that the parents are not empowered to bargain.  He said that peoples’ opinions are important in guiding the LFU negotiations.  He said:

• The Union is empowered to bargain.
  

• We as the Union are the bargaining agent.
  

• We make decisions together.
  

Subsequent comments/questions from the floor included:

• Botstein is the boss; he should have known what has been going on at Longy; this plan is all about saving him.
  

• It’s obvious that Leon Botstein is backing away from supporting Karen Zorn.
  

• The LCA plan may be a ruse.
  

• A question was asked about the possibility of undermining our cause if we go forward with negotiations.
  
  

Clay explained elements of the negotiating process and the status of the charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).  Further comments from the floor included:

• The students are anxious.
  

• How many people would actually want to teach in the situation outlined by the LCA reps this evening?  The parents have said they want to know.
  

Clay said the question is not so much whether we would bring students to the CP as outlined by the LCA; the question is whether the faculty wishes us to negotiate for the plan the LCA is suggesting.

The 2010 global settlement was briefly discussed, in which the LFU was able to include, in its contract negotiation, severance payments to those fired in that year.

A call for a secret ballot vote was made, seconded, and discussed.  The question we agreed to vote on was:

My gut says today:

• Botstein
• Chris Vuk
• Neither

The “neither” vote was explained to include a desire for as good a settlement as the Union could obtain.

The votes were read and counted by two people in front of all others present, and recorded by this writer.  16 people voted for “neither”, 1 for “Chris V”, and 6 for “Botstein”.  There was one additional vote that was cast as a write in for Botstein’s money only.

While votes were being counted, a faculty member who had been present at the LCA steering committee meeting on the previous Saturday volunteered additional information from that meeting. According to the LCA reps, Botstein said that he could maybe divert $300,000 from the Scholarship Fund, and could help to fundraise $200,000 to cover a projected 5-years lease for a new site, based on a calculation using $100,000 per year for a lease. Martin had stated that a commercial lease is usually 5 years minimum.

There was discussion on contacting people who were not present at the meeting.  Those in attendance were encouraged to pass information to those absent.  People were encouraged to contact the Executive Board with questions and opinions. Clay agreed to reach out to those who had left the meeting early and arrange for them to be able to cast a secret ballot if they wished.

The meeting adjourned at 10:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Deborah Yardley Beers
Secretary
Longy Faculty Union