Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.
As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.
The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.
Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.
February 1, 2014
IM -According to the AFL-CIO, 3.5 million hourly workers earning minimum wage are living on about $15,000 per year. Also, most working families in the US have lost about $4,000 in income every year for the past decade. While 13 states raised their minimum wage at the beginning of this year, there needs to be an increase for all working people across the country. For tipped workers with a federal minimum wage of $2.13, the situation can be even worse. That wage has been the same since 1991. Customers at hotels, nail salons, car washes, and other businesses are expected to make up the difference between $2.13 and the federal minimum wage with their tips. According to AFL-CIO statistics two-thirds of these workers are women, half are 30 years or older, one in three is a parent, and one in seven relies on food stamps.