The early worm and his Bird
During
the week, Tom Pethic is a substance abuse counselor on the adolescent team at
the Brighton outpatient branch of Park Ridge Chemical Dependency Services. But
every Sunday, from 6 to 11 a.m., you’ll find him behind the microphone as host
of Artistry in Jazz, one of the
finest programs on the local radio dial. This month, Pethic celebrates his 20th
year as a jazz DJ at WGMC (90.1 and 105.1 FM).
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Pethic’s interest in jazz began at
age 13, when his parents took him to the Top of the Plaza to hear the Modern
Jazz Quartet and the Count Basie Orchestra. But, he says, “I was not ready to
digest the music.” As a teenager he started listening to Journey into Jazz with Ann Piccolo on WGMC. That led to hanging out
at Foggy’s Notion, the Portside Lounge, and the Stone Street Pub, where he’d
hear top local players like Joe Romano, Barry Keiner, Vinnie Ruggerio, and Joe
Locke.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “That’s where I truly digested
jazz,” says Pethic.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย He began to listen religiously to
Will Moyle’s jazz show on WXXI and soon found himself seeking out WGMC’s Public
Relations director. “I told her I would kill for my own radio show. I guess she
didn’t want anyone to get hurt. I was on the air in six months.” The show’s
title came from a Stan Kenton album.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Pethic goes beyond merely spinning
discs. Every Sunday at 8 a.m. he does a segment called Reflections of a Standard, where he plays 10 versions of the same
song, ending with his favorite. “It’s almost like a trance, the song never
ends.” At 10 a.m. he welcomes a special guest DJ.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย This Saturday, October 5, Pethic
celebrates 20 years by adding another show from 6 to 10 a.m. Pethic, who plays
the alto saxophone, will play an hour of Charlie Parker’s music every Saturday
in a segment called The Early Worm Gets
the Bird.
Ron
Netsky
Decade
of indecision
“Hell
no, we won’t go; the Guild is here to stay!” chanted dozens of members and
supporters of Newspaper Guild Local 17,
which represents Democrat & Chronicle reporters. (Some notables were on hand, too, including State Assemblymember
Susan John and Rochester Labor Council head Jim Bertolone.) The September 25
rally, held in front of the Blue Cross Arena across the street from the D&C offices, telegraphed a message
to corporate leaders: “Ten years without a contract” is unacceptable.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Yes, it’s been 10 years since Local
17 began what a Guild news release called “the start of its fight for survival”
as a viable union. And 10 years during which Gannett, according to the release,
“closed one paper entirely [the late Times-Union]
and greatly reduced the staff, resources, and space devoted to news in
Rochester’s remaining daily newspaper.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Still, the rally was a celebration
— of Local 17’s endurance. “It’s been a very odd process,” says Local 17
president Steve Orr. Management, he says, put a “union-busting contract” on the
table years ago. Moreover, he says, members expected management to seek
decertification disbanding the union at some point. Absent an agreement, Orr
says, management has largely observed the terms of the contract that expired a
decade ago. But real issues remain, like pay, which Local 17 members say is too
low (see the Guild website, www.newsguild.org, for national comparisons).
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Local 17’s critique goes deeper than
contract language. The union charges that nationwide, Gannett has sought
ever-higher profit margins — sometimes nearly 50 percent — at workers’
expense. A handout at the rally poked serious fun at this: “In between feasting
on profits, Gannett executives have traveled the vast reach of their media
empire, trying to break the spine of any unions that forced them to consider
the public good and the well-being of workers. And they’ve been largely
successful.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “Frankly,” says Democrat and Chronicle spokesperson Thomas Flynn, “the Guild
membership should look to its own leadership” for reasons the talks have
stalled. There are also some particular “sticking points,” he says. He declines
to specify them.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But is Gannett a unionbuster? Flynn
brings it back to the local situation; he says the Democrat and Chronicle is “autonomous” as it negotiates with Local
17.
Talking
health
Management
and union negotiators have come down to the wire, or beyond, at the University
of Rochester’s Strong Memorial Hospital.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Around 1,000 members of SEIU
1199Upstate — medical technicians, surgical support assistants, dietary and
housekeeping workers, and others — are covered by a single labor contract
with the area’s largest medical center. They’ve been working without a contract
since June 1. (The old contract has been extended while talks continue.)
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย On August 13, hundreds of workers
rallied outside the hospital to protest what they thought was a low-ball offer:
less than one percent increases in wages and benefits over two years, according
to the union. Worse, as talks drag on, the union’s benefits fund gets more and
more depleted, said union vice president Bruce Popper.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The big item is health insurance,
Popper and others said. SEIU members’ health benefits come not from UR’s
self-insurance program (Aetna) but from the 1199 National Benefit Fund. Per
contract, Strong pays into this fund; the union wants the UR to pay more so the
fund can keep providing full family coverage without an employee contribution,
as it has for years. Strong thinks differently.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Maybe by the time you read this
there’ll be a breakthrough in negotiations. But on September 30, the union
filed formal notice that it could call a strike, picket, or other job action in
mid-October. Strong responded it would be ready with “contingency staffing
plans.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย At an in-house discussion last week,
union organizers and members laid their case on the table. “The hospital has
put us in an untenable position,” said Popper. Further delays, he said, could
eventually exhaust the National Benefit Fund. “We’re not going to [let them] do
that,” he said.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Lillian Wright, who works in a
neo-natal unit and has two kids in college, made it personal: “If they take
away my [family] health care benefits, there’s no way I can live the way I’m
living now.” Other members pointed to what they thought was a tacit agreement:
full health coverage would compensate somewhat for pay averaging only around
$10 an hour.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Strong’s public response has been
concise. “We’re beginning to make progress on the economic and non-economic
issues,” said spokesperson Teri D’Agostino. She declined to give details of the
wage-and-benefits package Strong has put on the table. But D’Agostino disputed
the union’s version of history. She said, for example, that union negotiators
were complaining about losses to the National Benefit Fund back before June 1.
Mad
props
Governor
George Pataki blew off the annual meeting of the Associated
Press Association on September 26 to hang with his new homey, LL Cool J, in the
Big Apple. Mr. J endorsed P. Takky that day, and the 34-year-old
rapper-actor-entrepreneur said Master P. will be the recipient of the first
vote he casts in his life.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Pataki
may have been trying to counter his Democratic challenger, Carl McCall, who picked up the endorsement of Sean “P. Diddy” Combs
a day earlier, and who also has the support of Run-D.M.C.’s Russell Simmons.
Simmons’ Phat Farm clothing label will sell its Phat Classic kicks as the “Carl
McCall running shoe” this month.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Golisano’s
campaign has yet to announce any endorsements by hip-hop stars, but more
surprisingly, Marijuana Reform Party gubernatorial candidate Tom Leighton
says he’s also without rap backing. Getting rap endorsements “is not high up on
the agenda,” Leighton says.
This article appears in Oct 2-8, 2002.
