The Louisville Chapter of the American Federation of Musicians International (AFM) was been taken over by George Sartich, trustee for the AFM, on August 5. Sartich, a past President of AFM's Milwaukee local, was noncommittal about the takeover, saying only that he was "here to help the local straighten things out."
It's a good thing," said Rocky Adcock, President of the Louisville local. Adcock, who had a part in the process that brought Sartich to Louisville, will assist him as needed.
All officers off the local have been set aside. "There is no inference that past and present officers have been the source of problems," said Sartich. "The financial situation" was the motivating factor, he said.
Sartich takes over a local in turmoil, strained by the need to help the musicians of the Louisville Orchestra in their running dispute with the LO's management and weakened by insufficient funds.
The internal conflict has resulted in some very stormy meetings of the membership, according to unnamed sources, with a split roughly along the lines of Orchestra players versus 'casual' musicians, who do not have the kind of steady employment available to Orchestra players. A proposal to sell the local's building at 1436 Bardstown Road in order to pay for an attorney the Orchestra players hired to negotiate with the LO management has been a particular point of contention.
The Orchestra musicians are struggling to keep the number of full-time players in the Orchestra at the current level.