Negotiation Update, Highlights on Capitol Hill, and AFM Strategic Planning

October 1, 2024

Tino A. Gagliardi  -  Theatre, Touring, and Booking Division Director

On September 4, the Federation opened negotiations with the major television networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) for a successor Live Television Videotape Agreement. During this first round, both sides exchanged opening proposals and returned initial impressions to the other side.

In addition to much-needed structural changes to some sections of the agreement, the AFM is focusing on advancements toward new media parity with agreements from other guilds. We are seeking protections against the encroachment of artificial intelligence (AI), increased health care contributions, and better compliance and enforcement procedures within the contract.

The parties will reconvene for a second round of bargaining in early November. (You can read additional details about these negotiations and our kick-off rally on page 11.)

Legislative Priorities

During mid-September, my focus shifted to our legislative priorities and connecting with our allies on Capitol Hill. I traveled to Washington, DC, to meet with Ben Kessler, our new director of government affairs. Together, we attended a Labor Advisory Committee meeting to discuss the impact of AI on musicians.

While in Washington, DC, we met with AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler and Secretary-Treasurer Fred Redmond. We discussed many issues facing all workers, and especially AFM members. The most important outcome of such meetings is our work to strengthen relationships with other AFL-CIO affiliate unions.

We attended the Department of Labor’s Century of Service Celebration, which paid tribute to nine labor unions who, as of this year, have fought for worker rights for more than 100 years. (The AFM, founded in 1896, was inducted 28 years ago.)

Following the induction, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su led a panel discussion on the labor movement’s future and how to build on worker equity to create a multiracial, multicultural, multilingual, and multigenerational movement that benefits all workers. The discussion highlighted national and local union commitments to foster a diverse workforce and establish committees for underrepresented workers to encourage deeper involvement in their unions.

We attended a “For the Record” event at the Capitol Visitors Center, which was co-hosted by the Recording Academy, Kennedy Center, and the Library of Congress. This provided an opportunity to speak with members of Congress, representatives from the Copyright Office, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and other stakeholders about some of our legislative priorities. Among those discussions:

• Representative Judy Chu (D-CA) expressed support for the Performing Arts Tax Parity Act (PATPA) of 2023. We discussed other tax proposals that benefit unions and how we can work together in the future.
• With Representative Chellie Pingree (D-ME), we discussed a range of issues, including immigration and instrument handling at airports. She is chair of the Congressional Arts Caucus and lead Democrat on the Appropriations Subcommittee with jurisdiction over the NEA.
• Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) is lead democrat on the Judiciary Committee, which has intellectual property jurisdiction. I thanked him for his steadfast support on copyright and AI issues. Nadler expressed his general support for human artistry and musicians.
• In our meeting with Representative Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), we voiced support for her Arts Education for All proposal and discussed the importance of arts education and the harm it causes when its cut. We also discussed the Bipartisan Taskforce on AI and how it can protect musicians.

While in DC, I attended the NEA National Heritage Fellowship ceremony at the Library of Congress. The fellowship is known as the nation’s highest honor in folk and traditional arts and celebrated 10 extraordinary artists who shape America’s cultural heritage. This year’s music honorees included rockabilly and country musician Rosie Flores, fiddler Trimble Gilbert, koto player and Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) member June Kuramoto, along with traditional Zuni dancers and singers Zuni Olla Maidens.

Strategic Planning

At the end of September, members of the AFM International Executive Board (IEB) traveled to Washington, DC, for a strategic planning session, in accordance with AFM Bylaws, which require the IEB to formulate a three-year plan. To help us facilitate our plan, we worked with Susan Schurman, professor of labor studies and employment relations at Rutgers University and former executive director of the George Meany Center. Her research and teaching focus on leadership, organizational effectiveness, and labor-management relations.

Schurman serves as an advisor to many national unions and is no stranger to the AFM. She oversaw the creation of the AFM’s officer education program in 1999. In 2012, she helped guide the merger of the Screen Actors Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA).

We are just getting started with this process, and we are optimistic that this strategic planning will help guide the future of the Federation.

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