A Recipe to Organize 

October 1, 2025

Tina Morrison  -  International Executive Board Member and President of Local 105 (Spokane, WA)

Ingredients: 1 part union musicians; 1 part other local unions; 1 part local organizations; 1 part local elected representatives 

Start by gathering a group of musicians and identifying core issues. Sprinkle in a survey, followed by member-to-member conversations. Share information, take it to a musician’s union meeting, develop consensus, and let rise.  

Next, fold in other unions by arranging for musicians to speak at their local member meetings. Talk about what it means to be a working musician and mix in commonalities such as providing tools, work clothes, and transportation. Add a pinch of training and expertise and mix. Ask for their input and build relationships. Let it rise! 

Create a resolution to take to your central labor body, and with the support of the other unions, pass the resolution. Enlist their aid identifying community and faith-based organizations that could be mixed in to support your goals. Let it rise, again!  

Fold in local organizations and develop support. The community needs to understand how a healthy, thriving music scene will benefit them. Get their input and adjust as needed to strengthen alignments. Turn up the heat and let it cook!  

Prepare the toppings. Arrange with your partners to meet with local elected officials. Demonstrate the alignments and support for your initiative within the greater community they represent. Enlist their aid with refining your end goals. Once all the ingredients are in, and the flavors are aligned, bring it to a vote!  

I’ve witnessed other unions use this recipe successfully and thought you all might like to try it. If the ingredients are added in properly, with full buy in and participation, then political divisions can be crossed successfully. It may not turn out perfectly the first time, but the recipe can be tweaked as time goes on to make improvements. It is foundational work that can be built on over time.  

I have a vision of community workforce agreements that would guarantee musicians appropriate compensation for work in any city, county, or state function. It could include music performances in parks, libraries, schools, state hospitals, airports, or any other publicly funded entity.  

Even if a first attempt fails, the time is not wasted. More people become educated about musical work and start to see musicians as being important workers in the community that they care about. Relationships with community members also build audiences for musical performances and engagements.  

Building this foundation in your community sends a message to contractors and employers of musicians. They need to do their work properly to ensure they are meeting the requirements their community expects, not just what musicians expect. Contractors and employers have the responsibility to raise funds and provide a safe workplace for musicians, but they need to be told what the expectations are, and the expectations need to be enforceable.  

I wish it was enough to be good at your job, to provide beautiful performances, and to excel on your instrument. I’ve heard the statement so many times that “cream will rise to the top,” but there’s another truth from wastewater workers that I’ll leave to your imagination.

I believe that music is what brings people together across all divisions. With technology infiltrating our lives on a minute-by-minute basis, it’s important for people to come together and celebrate our humanity. Music can do this better than any other art form.  

Thank you all for your work, but please consider taking the next step of blocking time to attend your local union meetings and get involved!  

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