poet, interviewer, musician, traveler
As you know, I’m a union organizer for UNITE HERE in Rochester, NY. I recently attended the first national organizing conference put on by Change to Win, the union federation that split earlier this year from the AFL-CIO.
If you’d like to read my report on the conference, you’ll find it at Joan Collins-Lambert’s excellent labor blog, Work Related.
Comments closedIf you know anything about Rochester’s progressive scene, you know the writing of Jack Bradigan Spula. Now you can peek into Jack’s brain again, via his new blog The Rochester Dissident. Do yourself a favor and check it out today.
Comments closed(24 October 2005) BRIGHTON – It’s 7 p.m. A light rain is falling. Snaking down Ambassador Drive in Brighton is a long line of silent workers, candles held in cups under their umbrellas. The line moves slowly down the street, a silent testament to labor solidarity in an age of “every man for himself.â€
The men and women of Caldwell Manufacturing, proud members of IUE-CWA Local 81331, are bringing their fight for justice and security into the neighborhood where Caldwell’s owners live. The message? Ted and Jim Boucher are letting their greed overcome their family history.
Caldwell Manufacturing makes parts for windows – parts that you’ll find in most houses, including those on Ambassador Drive. For three generations, Caldwell has been run by the Boucher family, and the company has long provided good union jobs for Rochester workers. Now, though, Ted and Jim Boucher are attempting to bust the union by removing the union security clause from the workers’ contract. If they’re successful, Caldwell would be an open shop, a move that would pave the way to remove the union completely. And that would likely be the first domino in a long chain of anti-union activity in the Rochester area.
As the vigil moves through the streets of Brighton, keeping a silent watch, it may be difficult to connect these 50 rain-soaked workers and community members to the larger fight for Rochester’s future. But the connection is clear. Rochester needs good jobs with a living wage, health care, pension benefits, and job security. One proven way to provide those jobs is a union contract. These workers and their supporters in the community are fighting for the very life of this area.
Two by two, pairs of workers knock on the doors of the homes in the Bouchers’ neighborhood. They politely explain why the vigil is happening, and hand the residents a flyer outlining the situation. The response is largely positive, and the effect is immediate. By the end of the vigil, a local trial lawyer who lives on the street has come forward, offering to put a pro-worker sign in his front yard.
As the rain falls, the workers quietly return to their cars. This night’s action is over, but the morning brings the promise of more to come. The fight for Rochester’s future is under way.
Which side are you on?
For more information on the Caldwell strike, and on other local labor issue, visit Joan Collins-Lamberts’ blog, Work Related.
Comments closedTonight I was elected to the board of Abundance Cooperative Market. Abundance is a shareholder-owned co-op. In other words, it’s owned by the folks who shop at the store. The co-op has a general manager, but the policies and practices of the co-op are governed by the board, on which I now sit.
I’ve written before about Abundance, and about the idea of shopping locally. The Abundance Co-op is modeling a better world, and I ran for the board to help protect that cooperative system. The store turned its first profit this year, and as it grows, it’s vital that we remain true to the principles on which the co-op was founded. The “co-op” is the people — the store is just a happy result of the people’s efforts.
I’m excited to start working with the board. If you have comments, questions or suggestions for me as I start on this journey, feel free to contact me.
Comments closedJen and I saw Bruce Springsteen for the second time on this solo acoustic tour. Tonight’s show was the first show on this leg of the tour, following a couple weeks off. Here, to the best of my recollection, is the set list. Following the list if my little review:
ENCORE
All in all, a fantastic show. His voice was in perfect form, the crowd was into it, and the show was a lot more upbeat than the July 18 Buffalo show, which had a great set list and a lame audience. Idiot’s Delight was a powerful opener, with somewhat distorted and delayed vocals and a great electric guitar part. Long Time Comin’ is quickly becoming one of my favorites. When he announced that he was going to play a song “for the first time on this tour,” the crowd cheered. He said, “I don’t know why people always cheer. I’ve played about 120 songs on this tour, which means you’re going to miss about 100 of them. But I’ve thought about it, and these are the best 20. There’s a system.” Then he played Independence Day. Further On Up The Road was very intense. The encore was great — Bruce changed some lyrics in Growin’ Up, I think. I know he also changed them in ain’t got you (from “king’s ransom for doin’ what comes naturally” to “king’s ransom for doin’ what I’d do for free”).
Comments closedOGDEN, NY — Security guards bully workers. Workers call police to protect them from guards. Police arrive and hassle workers. Security company turns out to be owned by the brother of one of the cops. That cop is also moonlighting as a security guard. Welcome to Ogden!
The Ogden Police are routinely called to the picket line at Caldwell Manufacturing, where the workers have been on strike since August. Ted Boucher, owner of Caldwell Manufacturing, brought in scabs to staff the production lines, and he also hired guards from C.O.P. Security to direct the cars out of the parking lot as the workers marched across the entrance. That the workers are legally entitled to picket in that spot is of no consequence to the guards who enforce Caldwell’s anti-union policies.
Recently, the C.O.P. Security guards have been roughing up the strikers. Security guards have knocked down workers. Just days ago, one of the guards shoved a woman with both hands. In the face of this escalation, the union (IUE-CWA Local 331) has begun calling the police on their own behalf. But when the police arrive — even when they’ve been called by the union — they immediately bypass the workers and head straight for the guards to get the story. Turns out that one of the security guards is Sergeant Dale Barton of the Ogden Police Department. That’s right, he works for C.O.P. Security and for the police force the workers depend on to protect them from C.O.P. Security. Better still, Dale Barton’s brother is Rick Barton – the president of C.O.P. Security.
Why are the workers on strike? Because Ted Boucher, the owner of the company, decided not to bargain in good faith with the workers. He was censured by the NLRB, and he has appealed that ruling.
As Joan Collins-Lambert wrote on her blog Work Related: “The strike at Caldwell is about something more enduring than tomorrow’s paycheck. It’s about a union’s right to exist, and about a company’s obligation to bargain in good faith with its union workers. Among other things, Caldwell management wants to remove union security clauses in the collective bargaining agreement, and eliminate dues check-off. In other words, it wants the union to commit suicide.” That about sums it up.
So Boucher appealed, and the union workers reluctantly but unanimously decided to strike.
Last Thursday, Sept. 29, was a typical afternoon on the line. The most belligerent of the rent-a-cops, whom I’ll call Dom, shoved another worker today. The cops showed up and immediately pulled aside one of the strikers, keeping him in the back of a patrol car for about 30 minutes before letting him go. I talked to the cops, and told them that if anyone needed to be removed, it was Dom, not the worker. I pointed out that Dom consistently bullies the workers, while the police do nothing to protect the workers’ legal right to picket. The cop was nonresponsive.
Later in the afternoon, a woman pulled up beside one of the police cars to talk to the officer inside the car. Seeing a golden opportunity, I immediately began making fun of the officer over my megaphone. When the woman left, the officer — Lockwood by name — rode up to me and accused me of slandering his wife. I said it was in fact him I was yelling at, and I told him he should be ashamed of himself for protecting the “rights” of Ted Boucher over the rights of the workers. The workers surrounded me as Lockwood and I argued back and forth for a few minutes, until I got bored and walked away.
When it was time to go home, I did what everyone else before me had done and made a perfectly safe u-turn on the road to get back to the main highway. Within seconds, Lockwood was behind me with his lights flashing. One of my coworkers was in the car with me, and we were laughing uproariously as Lockwood approached the car to write me a ticket for “making an illegal u-turn on a curve.” He wrote up the ticket and held it in the window of my car. I took out my pad and pen and asked him for his name. “It’s right there on the ticket,” he said, but I took my time writing it down anyway. “I have an emergency call,” Lockwood protested, “take the ticket.”
So a company breaks the law, is censured, and then appeals, forcing its employees to take their fight to the street. The police support the company, taking sides against their neighbors. There’s a serious conflict of interest at work in Ogden, and it’s directly harming the workers on the picket line.
Comments closed
I’m very sad to report the passing of Forrest Cummings, who I knew through his work at Jazz90.1, where he hosted the great show Jazz Ain’t Nothin’ But Soul. Forrest was one of those people who make the world a better place, and it was truly an honor to know him and work with him.
Forrest had a show on WRUR for decades, and when his time there ended, I was on the phone with him immediately, asking him to come to Jazz90.1 and work his magic. We met for lunch, and he agreed to make the move. Most of our volunteers and staff members already knew who Forrest was, and he was welcomed with open arms to our Sunday night lineup.
Even after I left the station, I’d see Forrest at Red Wings games (he was on the board of Rochester Community Baseball) and at the Rochester International Jazz Festival and other musical events. It was always a pleasure to see him — everyone always seemed to know him and respect him wherever he was.
My thoughts are with the Cummings family. We’ve lost one of the good guys, but Rochester is a better place because he was here.
Here’s the obituary from The Democrat & Chronicle:
Forrest Cummings, 56, dies
He worked to give back to Rochester and to help children
by Ernst Lamothe Jr.
Staff writer
(September 24, 2005) —
Forrest Cummings Jr. could have left Rochester for bigger cities and bigger opportunities. Instead, he spent his life giving back to the only city that mattered in his book.
Mr. Cummings, 56, died Thursday of a massive heart attack.
He worked more than 20 years as regional director of the state Division of Human Rights. In addition, he served on the boards of the Boys and Girls Club, Urban League, Baden Street Settlement and the Rochester Red Wings.
Brenda D. Lee saw every step of Mr. Cummings’ path from a young boy at Edison Technical and Industrial High School to the man who was well respected in the community.
“He was a person who had incredible discipline on one hand but could be very humorous on the other,” said Lee, a childhood friend. “The person you would see in a social setting was completely different than the person you would see as regional director.”
While his time was often spread thin, one area always had a priority on his schedule.
“He was absolutely passionate about making a difference in the lives of children,” said Lee. “Forrest was an incredible role model for everyone, especially young African-American males.”
Gary Larder, Red Wings president and CEO, said Mr. Cummings was the first board member to financially contribute to offering season tickets for the underprivileged.
“He brought a mature attitude and certainly a team spirit,” said Larder.
When Mr. Cummings died, he was spending time with Maurice Stone, 43, a Penfield man with a developmental disability whom he visited every Thursday. Friends say it was an example of the life Mr. Cummings led.
“Even though he was in a position where he dealt with judges, lawyers and politicians, he was very comfortable with everyday folks,” said the Rev. Lawrence Hargrave, acting dean of black church studies at Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.
“He could walk around the streets of Rochester and people would know him, and he could walk into the highest offices of the state and people would know him.”
Mr. Cummings hosted Jazz Ain’t Nothing but Soul for 26 years on WRUR-FM (88.5) Sunday evenings before moving to WGMC-FM (90.1) for the past two years.
He is survived by his wife, Juliette Rhodes-Cummings. Funeral arrangements are pending.
Comments closedI’ve wriiten before about Abundance Cooperative Market, Rochester’s only shareholder-owned cooperative grocery store. It’s a fantastic place, and a wonderful model of how cooperative economics can work. Now I’m running for the board. If you want to know more about why I’m running, check out my campaign flyer. Thanks!
Comments closedI just picked up Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, figuring I’d better read the series before I’m the last person in the English-speaking world who hasn’t read it.
While I was reading the book, the neighbor kids came over and said that they’re not allowed to read Harry Potter books because the books are “bad.” I asked why the books are bad.
KIDS: “Because they have witches in them.”
ME: “And why is that bad?”
KIDS: “Because they do magic.”
ME: “What’s wrong with magic?”
KIDS: “Because we’re Christians.”
ME: “But didn’t Jesus do magic? You know, water into wine, bringing people back from the dead, things like that.”
KIDS: “God doesn’t do magic.”
ME: “How do you know?”
KIDS: “It’s in the Bible.”
ME: “But the Bible’s just a story, just like this Harry Potter book.”
KIDS: Blank stare.
And there you have it. As the conservative blogger Kung Fu Monkey recently wrote: “”Everybody who wants to live in the 21st century over here. Everybody who wants to live in the 1800’s over there. Good. Thanks. Good luck with that.”
Comments closedI thought the Savannah Sand Gnats had a lock on the most embarrassing contest at a minor-league baseball game: a fan racing around the bases trying to beat a guy dressed like a big toilet bowl. But that was before I went to see the Rochester Red Wings the other night.
After the game, about 75 women were given tiny shovels — roughly the size of grapefruit spoons — with which they were to dig in the infield dirt, looking for a poker chip that they could then redeem for a diamond.
Maybe you should go back and read the previous paragraph one more time.
So there you have it. The prize for the most demeaning contest ever goes to the Rochester Red Wings and Frontier Field, where it’s always 1951! Dig that, ladies!
Comments closedYou might think it would be hard to top all the amazing music that’s been happening here over the past 10 days, but you’d be wrong. Tonight I saw something that was every bit as inspiring, and gave me a lot more hope for the future.
My friend Spero Michailidis teaches fourth grade at Genesee Community Charter School (GCCS). Tonight his class presented the results of their most recent “expedition” — a multi-month project that involved hands-on learning and field studies (not, as the kids are quick to point out, field trips), and resulted in a 35-minute film made by the students.
The film was truly magical. The expedition centered around the topic of personal power and community involvement. What was particularly fascinating was how every element of their education revolved around these concepts, from physical education to music to field studies.
In one of the most striking storylines of the movie, the students mobilized around a real issue — lifting the cap on the number of charter schools allowed in New York State. They met with city and state officials, mayoral candidates, and bureaucrats, even traveling to Albany to lobby state legislators. (The meetings with politicians led to one of the funniest — and most skillfully edited — moments in the film: a droning Bob Duffy campaigning for the fourth-grade vote.) Mind you, this wasn’t simplistic, dumbed-down stuff. These kids are smart, articulate and aware, and they brought all those qualities to bear as they pressured lawmakers, wrote and delivered speeches, and analyzed complex issues. (If you want to get involved, check out the Legislative Action Center at the New York State Charter Schools Association.)
Music also provided a platform for the idea of an individual voice and its application to collective goals. A talented teacher (Carrie Haymond-Hesketh) taught the kids about jazz and improvisation. The final result — a contrefact (zing!) based on “Three Blind Mice” — featured hip solos on the vibes, new lyrics and a real understanding of the music. So much cooler than the generic junk that passes for jazz education in most settings.
“Studies in state-sponsored terrorism — also known as gym class.” That’s how Calvin (of Calvin & Hobbes) described physical education. Not at GCCS. Their phys ed teacher, Sarah Morell, is also a dancer and a fan of the Brazilian martial art Capoeira. What? You say your gym experience focused more on getting the snot knocked out of you with a dodgeball? Mine, too. But not these kids. They performed a Capoeira routine set to music, and related the movements to the themes of personal power, community and conversation that were at the heart of the expedition.
All I can say is that I wish I’d gone to a school like GCCS when I was a kid. There are so many different (read: better) ways to learn than the memorize-and-regurgitate style mandated by No Child Left Behind and other standardized-test-based education systems. Genesee Community Charter School is engaging its students in the world around them, and that always results in a deeper understanding of the subject matter, and a greater likelihood that these kids will break free of the Couch Generation and get involved in the world.
If you’ve got a child in the K-6 age range, check out Genesee Community Charter School (GCCS), and be inspired. I was.
Comments closedIt’s over.
The 2005 Rochester International Jazz Festival has come to an end. And what an end it was.
This year the festival featured two outdoor stages (up from one in previous years), and tonight the streets were jammed with folks checking out the lineup of free music on both stages.
I went with my sister to see the Derek Trucks Band. They tore it up. Had the joint had a roof, they would have blown it off. I knew we were gonna be OK when the band opened up with Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s “Volunteered Slavery,” featuring Derek Trucks and his wailing slide guitar. They tackled some other jazz classics, too, including Dr. Billy Taylor’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” (one of my faves) and John Coltrane’s arrangement of “My Favorite Things.”
What a joy to see people of all ages and races crammed onto East Avenue, dancing and laughing and singing along. I’ve said it before (see my earlier posts on the jazz fest) and I’ll say it again: the city of Rochester needs to grab this festival with both hands.
And there you have it. There’s still great jazz happening in Rochester the rest of the year, but nothing can top the vibe of the festival. I’m already making my plans for ’06. See you there!
Comments closedThe penultimate night of the 2005 Rochester International Jazz Festival was a mixture of exhilaration and disappointment.
The disappointment came in the form of the Wallace Roney Sextet. Not because the band was bad, but because the sound was horrible. Kilbourn Hall was plagued with sound problems this week, spoiling a number of shows, including Night of the Cookers, Ravi Coltrane, The Bad Plus, and the Roney band. In truth, Kilbourn may not be the best venue for loud, electric groups, but I’ve seen other electric bands there with much better sound. In this case, the same sound tech was working all of those shows, and I think it’s fair to lay the blame at his feet. At one point during the Wallace Roney show, the pianist actually turned around on his bench to yell at the sound tech. That’s when things have gone way too far.
That said, the band was hip. Trumpet, sax, piano/keyboards, bass, drums, and turntable. I’d love to hear them in a better sonic environment. Or on their new album, Prototype. I’m sure Erik Telford will have some good insight into this show over on Miles Radio.
The real revelation of the night — and of the festival — was singer and guitarist Raul Midon. He’s been mentioned in the same breath as Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder. That kind of hype usually spells disappointment, but Midon is more than up to the challenge. Jen and I saw him at Milestones last night, and we were absolutely blown away. If you get a chance to see this guy, don’t miss it. In fact, you can catch him on The Late Show with David Letterman on Tuesday, June 28. Stay up late and watch one of the best emerging talents you’ll see this year.
Earlier this week, I told you about the death of guitarist Mark Manetta. Sadly, yesterday was also the day of the memorial for bassist Bob Stata, who died after a long illness. Bob was a true gentleman, and one hell of a bass player. He also believed in working with kids and in giving back to his community. He will be missed. A tribute is planned for later this year. Stay tuned.
Comments closedOnce again, it’s that bittersweet time of year when the 2005 Rochester International Jazz Festival is winding down. Most of the bands have played. Most of the jams have happened. And while there are still some outstanding shows on the way, your thoughts can’t help but turn to the realization that in three days most of Rochester will forget about jazz for 51 weeks.
I worked the door at the Montage Grille again last night. The Moutin Reunion Quartet blazed away inside, one of the hottest acts of the festival. People left raving about the band after the first set, and the word quickly spread, with people coming in as much as two hours before the second set to make sure they got a seat. I heard that the band will be back in Rochester in the fall — don’t miss them. They’ve also got a new record coming out in August, the follow-up to their excellent album Red Moon.
I spent a lot of time last night chatting with some of my favorite jazz people in town. In addition to Erik Telford (whose Miles Radio blog is worth your time), I talked with Gerry Youngman and Jared Schonig of Paradigm Shift. If you’ve never checked them out, do yourself a favor and catch them. You can find out more about the band here, and you can read a review I wrote of their album Shifting Times. If you’ve read the program for the Rochester International Jazz Festival, then you’ve already read most of the review, because it was copied — without attribution — in the program. What’s that Tom Lehrer tune?
UPDATE: Turns out the program notes are provided by the artists, so the festival is not at fault. And of course the Paradigm Shift guys are friends of mine, and I’m sure they meant no harm. But it is important to remember that published work should be credited.
Comments closedIf you’re a jazz fan, you have to feel like a kid in a candy store during the 2005 Rochester International Jazz Festival. Great names in jazz and world music from several continents. The streets are filled with people. Rochester seems like the center of the jazz world. More about that in a minute.
I got reassigned last night to the Montage Grille, rather than Kilbourn Hall. That was fine with me — although it meant that I missed the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, founded by one of my faves, Kahil El Zabar. Instead, though, I got to see two sets by one of the biggest draws of the festival: the Lew Tabackin Trio. Lew played two sets of mainstream jazz, led by his tenor and flute and featuring Boris Koslov on bass and Mark Taylor on drums. The crowd ate it up like it was the last show they’d ever see. Completely sold-out houses for both sets.
I also took in the first half of the movie Miles Electric: A Different Kind of Blue. This film focuses on Miles’ 1970 performance at the Isle of Wight festival. The first half of the documentary features interviews with the musicians who played with Miles in that era — Dave Liebman, Keith Jarrett, Jack DeJohnette, Pete Cosey, Airto Moreira, Dave Holland, and many more — and others who were inspired by him, the most interesting of whom was Carlos Santana. The film also features the usual cast of characters — led by Stanley Crouch — taking potshots at electric Miles. I had to leave before the concert footage came on, but the film is out on DVD, so I’ll get a chance to check it out. It was very capably introduced by my friend Erik Telford, the host of Miles Radio on Jazz90.1.
Now back to the impact the festival is having on the city of Rochester.
I’m not privy to too many insider stories, but from where I sit, I think the city is really missing the boat when it comes to this festival. Let’s face it, folks: Rochester’s manufacturing days are over. Say it with me one more time: Rochester’s manufacturing days are over. If this town has any chance of regaining a slice of its former glory, it needs to turn to other sources of attracting people and revenue. Forget High Falls, where no one lives and no one could live, and focus on things like the Rochester International Jazz Festival.
As an example, just look at Montreal. In 2004, the Montreal International Jazz Festival drew 1.9 million people. That’s right, nearly 2 million jazz fans went to Montreal from all over the world, injecting millions upon millions of dollars into that city’s economy. “Sure,” you may be saying, “but that’s a big city.” Folks, don’t kid yourselves. The Rochester International Jazz Festival is one of the top 10 festivals in the U.S. already, in just its fourth year. Can you even imagine the impact on our city from Montreal-level tourism? If even 10% as many people each spent $100 here, that’s $19 million into Rochester’s coffers. (By the way — Monroe County is $19.5 million in the hole. I’m just sayin’.) And that’s completely achievable — but only if the city takes a much more active role in subsidizing the festival, advertising the festival, and integrating the festival into Rochester’s core image.
Yes, it will cost some money. Yes, it will take some vision and initiative. But it’s worth it. Rochester could be one of the centers of the jazz world. And that will benefit all of us. Let’s make it happen.
UPDATE: For more festival reviews and commentary, check out Erik Telford’s excllent Miles Radio site.
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