Secretary-Treasurer’s Message

December 1, 2024

Ken Shirk  -  AFM International Secretary-Treasurer

The one thing I appreciate about the outcome of the US elections this year is that the results are unambiguous. This provides a heightened clarity of purpose for the next two years, if not the next four, for anyone who makes a living in the arts or who works in the labor movement.

Funding for the arts: As of this writing, all signals and projections indicate that Congress will be controlled by the Republican Party. Partnered with a Republican executive branch and its promises to reduce taxes, the new Congress can be expected to approve a significant reduction in funding for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help pay for those tax cuts. NEA funding is central to symphonies, opera companies, ballet companies, theater companies, and many other smaller performing arts organizations that employ musicians. Reduced funding will translate to reduced employment opportunities.

Trade tariffs: I try to “buy American” whenever possible. In these modern times, “buying American” for me means products made in the US, Canada, or Mexico. But today’s reality in the open market means that many, many products that we use in our daily lives as musicians come from overseas manufacturers—predominantly Asian countries that are likely targets for the next administration’s tariffs. We should brace for supply disruptions and price increases as tariffs are applied.

Artificial intelligence and intellectual property: The Biden administration issued an executive order to all executive branch federal agencies requiring that they take into consideration creators’ and performers’ rights with respect to any regulatory or administrative initiatives undertaken by those agencies in connection with AI and IP. The Democratic-led Senate issued a call to all the congressional subcommittees to do the same for any future legislative initiatives. It’s fair to expect the next US president to rescind that executive order and for Congress to rebalance its responsiveness to legislative lobbying in favor of Silicon Valley’s general view that the development of all things digital should not be impeded by regulatory barriers.

Unionizing: We’ve already been through this one. Freelance gigging musicians have always had the short end of the stick under US labor law rights. Notwithstanding that, however, federal support for bringing gig workers under the protective umbrella of labor rights was on the uptick in the last three years. We can expect that trend to slowly reverse as the federal judiciary and National Labor Relations Board are slowly remade in Project 2025’s image.

Tax reform and working across the border: Professional employees lost their right to deduct employee expenses under the 2017 tax reform legislation. Regaining that right was beginning to appear within reach with a responsive Congress in place, but it now appears that we will need to grow longer arms. Canadian members already have an unfairly difficult time securing visas to play gigs in the US; with the incoming administration’s intention to tighten US borders, it seems less likely that it will extend a welcoming hand to musicians north of the 49th parallel.

So what’s changed for US musicians? Actually, not much. All that is different is the degree of the incoming national leaders’ resistance to recognizing the need to foster and support a vibrant, healthy, and growing musical economy and ensure that the musicians who make it happen are given a fair shot at making a living in that economy. The resistance will be greater. The wisdom to recognize music as a necessary component to a healthy society and a healthy economy will be diminished. The work that we’ve only just begun under the DEI banner to address workplace sexism, ageism, harassment, discrimination, and bullying will no longer have the full-throated support of the federal government as grant and support programs gradually wink out for lack of funding.

But the work that will be ahead of us next year is the same work that was ahead of us last year. Arm in arm, we will keep on keeping on.

With a fully-equipped organizing department, a well-connected director of government affairs in our DC office, a professional and highly-motivated staff, dedicated local officers, and, most importantly, a motivated and engaged membership, we are well-positioned and firmly committed to get done what needs doing.

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