Celebrations are underway for the Central Florida Musicians’ Association’s 100th anniversary. The union has been forging collective bargaining agreements for area musical performers since 1924, currently working with the likes of Disney and the Orlando Philharmonic, among others.
Jeff and Kathy Thomas are members of the union’s Executive Board. The couple explained what the union does now, and how it all began then.
As for the union’s current work, Kathy Thomas says the “bargaining table” is literal, but pleasant.
“We bargain at a table, for real – our side/their side – which basically means face-to-face in a nice conversation, and make sure the needs of our musicians are met,” she says.
Some of those needs include appropriate working temperatures, the number of hours worked in one stretch, and financial considerations.
Jeff Thomas says the union was started a hundred years ago by a wildly popular band of Black musicians from New Orleans called the Pithian Knights.
The band would play in Orlando for large winter crowds. As the year-round population of Orlando grew, so did the popularity of and demand for the Pithian Knights.
“And they held sway enough that they formed the ‘Musicians’ Protection Society,’ is how it was listed,” he says. “They were able to negotiate for better fees and better accommodations.”
He points out that the union formation was especially remarkable, given the times. “You think about what was going on a hundred years ago in this country, just barely post-World War I, the ‘roaring 20s,’ and these Black gentlemen came in and established a union…and then it caught on.”
For its 100th anniversary this year, there are several celebrations. The event Thursday evening will feature performances and a jam session. It takes place at the Union Hall at 3020 E. Robinson Street starting at 7:00pm and is open to the public.
Kathy Thomas says a representative from Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer’s office will cut the union’s birthday cake and call for April 18th to be known as “Central Florida Musicians’ Association Centennial Celebration Day” in accordance with an official proclamation from the mayor himself.
The proclamation in part expresses appreciation for the union’s work “to provide opportunities and support to help musicians thrive, which in turn makes Orlando a more vibrant, inclusive and welcoming city for all.”
