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.
December 1, 2013
IM -In November, National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) Acting General Counsel Lafe E. Solomon announced that the government will prosecute T-Mobile US for labor violations in its campaign of intimidation and attack against organizing workers. Last year the company closed seven US call centers, sending those 3,300-plus jobs overseas. Specifically, the NLRB alleges that Joshua Coleman was fired illegally and Ellen Brackeen was disciplined for their support of union representation.
German corporation Deutsche Telekom owns 75% of T-Mobile. The US workers have gotten widespread support from their German counterparts, members of the union ver.di. Thousands of Deutsche Telekom workers donned t-shirts at work and public events that read: “We are all Josh.” “We look forward to the day when T-Mobile US is tolerant of those who organize, just as its German owner Deutsche Telekom has been for generations,” says Communications Workers of America (CWA) President Larry Cohen in an AFL-CIO article.