Question:
I recently played a gig and just received my paycheck from Promo.  I sure thought I’d net more than that.  What deductions are taken from my check and what do they mean?

Answer:
When you examine your paycheck from Promo you will see these boxes:

Boxes on the top left:

  • PLACE: The location of the job you played and it’s performance date
  • DATE: The date the paycheck was drawn.
  • LEADER AND THEIR CODE NUMBER: The name of the contractor who hired you and their contractor code number.
  • MBA#:The number of the contract with the CMA which governed the job.
  • MEMBER NAME: Your name.
  • SS No: Your social security number with first 5 numbers as X’s to protect your privacy.

Center box:
Employer Paid Pension: This box states the amount the employer paid into the CMA’s pension fund. This amount is based on a percentage of your gross pay and it is above the amount you were contracted for. Consider part of your retirement plan and a gift from your employer!

OTHER:

Boxes on the top right:

      • Gross: The total amount you are paid, based on union scale and the contract you are working under.
      • With. Tax or With-holding Tax- the deduction for your Federal With-Holding deductions. You should periodically check your withholding form to make sure your are deducting enough to cover your taxes and getting paid as much as you should!
      • F.I.C.A.: Federal Insurance Contributions Act deduction. This funds Social Security and Medicare and is a mandatory deduction.
      • Work Dues: This is the amount set by your local union which helps to cover the union’s expenses. A portion of your work dues also is paid to the national AFM. I know you hate to pay it, but it’s a very small price to pay for the services you receive!City Tax: This is the amount paid to your city of residence or employment if you are not a resident of Cincinnati. This covers your city services. You must file a Cincinnati Tax form if you earn money in Cincinnati.
      • State Tax: This is the amount paid to the State of Ohio for your work within Ohio. You must file an Ohio Income Tax form if you reside within or work in the State of Ohio.
      • Misc.
      • Net: What’s left from your gross paycheck after all these deductions are taken out! Consider it an advantage that you won’t have to pay these amounts at tax time when it will hurt more!
      • The amount outside of the box on the bottom line that says “TR”. This is reimbursement for travel as set forth in the union’s price list. It is also an amount above and beyond the gross pay you’ve gotten, paid by your employer! Nice, huh?

Aren’t you glad you asked!?